Aoun backs Bassil over MPs firing, trusts Nasrallah and would be happy if Hezbollah won

Although former President Michel Aoun stands against Hezbollah’s clashes with Israel on Lebanon’s southern border, the former president is still keen on maintaining good relations with the Iran-backed group.

Aoun told pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper, in remarks published Thursday, that he would be happy if Hezbollah won the war with Israel, although he opposes it. "I would celebrate with them if they won, and would be sad if, God forbid, they lost."

Aoun explained that he opposes that tiny Lebanon participate in the Gaza war. "We have no common borders, no economic relations, and no joint defense agreement with Gaza," Aoun said, adding that although he does trust Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, he does not trust the Israelis.

"Hezbollah's performance is rational, smart and politically correct and I have confidence in Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," Aoun said, describing the FPM's relations with Hezbollah as "calm."

On another note, Aoun defended FPM chief Jebran Bassil after four FPM members - Ibrahim Kanaan, Elias Bou Saab , Alain Aoun, and Simon Abi Ramia – resigned or were expelled from the FPM’s political council. "Bassil is not a dictator but a decision-maker, and they do not want that," Aoun said, adding that the four MPs have made mistakes, had new political inclinations and views, and took decisions without consulting the party. He also described Bou Saab of being "ungrateful".

"The FPM is still the strongest Christian party," Aoun said. "It is correcting itself and there is nothing wrong with that."