Fouad Siniora

{{Short description|Prime Minister of Lebanon from 2005 to 2009}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Fouad Siniora

| image = Fouad Siniora EPP Congress 5446 (cropped).jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Siniora in 2006

| office = 12th Prime Minister of Lebanon

| president = Émile Lahoud
Michel Suleiman

| deputy = Elias al-Murr
Issam Abu Jamra

| term_start = 19 July 2005

| term_end = 9 November 2009

| predecessor = Rafic Hariri

| successor = Saad Hariri

| office2 = Minister of Finance

| term_start2 = 26 October 2000

| term_end2 = 26 October 2004

| predecessor2 = Georges Corm

| successor2 = Elias Saba

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|7|19|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sidon, Greater Lebanon

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Future

| alma_mater = American University of Beirut
Lebanese University

| spouse = Huda Siniora

| children = 3

| native_name_lang = ar

| native_name = {{nobold|فؤاد السنيورة}}

}}

Fouad Siniora{{efn|alternative spellings: Fouad Sanyoura, Fuad Sinyora, Fouad Sanioura, Fouad Seniora, Fuad Siniora}} ({{langx|ar|فؤاد السنيورة|translit=Fu'ād as-Sanyūrah}}; born 19 July 1943) is a Lebanese politician. He served as the 12th prime minister of Lebanon from 2005 to 2009. He served as minister of Finance from 2000 to 2004.

Early career

In the 1970s, Sanioura worked for Citibank and taught at the American University of Beirut, his alma mater,{{cite news|last=Moubayed|first=Sami|title=The new face of Lebanon|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GG08Ak02.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051212171237/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GG08Ak02.html|url-status=unfit|archive-date=12 December 2005|access-date=27 March 2013|newspaper=Asia Times Online|date=8 July 2005}} and at the Lebanese University.{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4641865.stm|title= Middle East {{!}} Profile: Fouad Siniora|website=BBC NEWS |date=28 May 2008|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-06-02}}

Member of National Assembly

He served as Minister of State for Financial Affairs from 1992 to 1998, and as Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2004.{{Cite web|url=http://www.finance.gov.lb/en-us/About/Minister/Pages/Former-Ministers.aspx|title=Former Ministers|website=Republic of Lebanon Ministry of Finance |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218051220/http://www.finance.gov.lb/en-us/About/Minister/Pages/Former-Ministers.aspx|archive-date=18 December 2019}}

Prime minister

After the victory of the anti-Syrian opposition in parliamentary elections held in May and June 2005, Fouad Siniora was asked by President Émile Lahoud on 30 June 2005 to form a government. He resigned from the chairmanship of Group Méditerranée (a banking holding controlled by the Hariri family). After laborious negotiations with the President and the different political forces, Siniora formed a government on 19 July 2005.{{cite news|title=FACTBOX-PM Siniora focus of Lebanon power struggle|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-president-siniora-idUSL231994420071123 |first1=Tom |last1=Perry |access-date=24 March 2013|work=Reuters|date=23 November 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315023459/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-president-siniora-idUSL231994420071123 |archive-date= Mar 15, 2016 }}

2006 Lebanon War

On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah launched a deadly cross-border attack against Israel, who subsequently started a 33-day heavy bombardment and land invasion of Lebanon, also known as the 2006 Lebanon War.{{Cite web |date=Jul 18, 2008 |title=Israel buries soldiers recovered in prisoner swap |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/18/2307095.htm? |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202124019/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/18/2307095.htm |archive-date=Feb 2, 2011 |website=ABC News}} On 27 July 2006, Siniora, seeking to end the conflict, presented a seven-point Siniora Plan at a 15-nation conference in Rome. Siniora also called for an Arab League meeting in Beirut. During a televised address at the conference, he famously "sobbed" as he described the effects of the war on the Lebanese people.{{cite web |url=http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=5920 |title=Siniora's Tears |website=Asharq Alawsat Newspaper |date=2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071010155116/http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=5920 |archive-date= Oct 10, 2007 }}

Events leading to the Doha Agreement

On 13 November 2006, Shiite ministers backed by Hezbollah and Amal resigned from Siniora's cabinet. This took place on the eve of the day when the Special Tribunal for Lebanon trying the murderers of Rafik Hariri was to be discussed in a cabinet meeting. Although there were only six resigning ministers, nearly 40% of the Lebanese MPs are in the opposition.

File:Siniora Bush.jpg and Prime Minister Siniora at the White House South Lawn on Tuesday, April 18, 2006]]

The Lebanese opposition claimed that this resignation meant that the Siniora Government was not a legitimate one because it did not represent all religious groups in Lebanon, namely the Shiite Lebanese. According to the constitution, the government is legal as long as it has two-thirds of the ministers, and so the majority believed the Siniora government was still a totally legal cabinet.{{Cite web |title=Lebanon > Constitution |url=http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/le00t___.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819004102/http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/le00t___.html |archive-date=Aug 19, 2023 |website=ICL}}

On 1 December 2006, the parliamentary minority, primarily the pro-Syrian parties of Amal, Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement of Michael Aoun launched a campaign of street demonstrations with the goal of getting veto power in the government. The country was further put into paralysis when the opposition refused to attend the parliament and vote for a new president, after Emile Lahoud's presidential term expired. This meant the Fuad Siniora was an acting president until the new president was voted in.

On 7 May 2008, Hezbollah, Amal and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, among others, launched an armed strike against Beirut. The Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport, the Government's Grand Serail, and houses of majority leaders, Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt, were all put under siege. Mount Lebanon was also attacked in the operation. Revenge attacks broke out in other areas of Lebanon.{{cite web|url=http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/05/hezbollahled_pr.php|title=Hezbollah-led protest leads to clashes, violence in Lebanon|publisher=Ya Libnan|date=7 May 2008|access-date=5 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306060650/http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/05/hezbollahled_pr.php|archive-date=6 March 2012}}

Post-premiership

Siniora has continued to criticise Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon, saying that "Practically, Lebanon as a state has been kidnapped by Hezbollah. And behind Hezbollah is Iran". In 2024, he opposed Lebanon being dragged into the war in Gaza, saying that the country "cannot afford, in principle, to get involved".{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70zke9lqjro |title=Lebanon abandoned by international community - ex PM |publisher=BBC |date=8 October 2024 |access-date=8 October 2024}}

Personal life

Siniora is known for his interest in Arab literature and poetry.

Notes

References

External links

[http://www.fuadsiniora.com Official Website: Fuad Siniora]
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4641865.stm Profile: Fuad Siniora] BBC News, 28 May 2008
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7422841.stm Siniora reappointed as Lebanon PM] BBC News, 28 May 2008
Siniora, Fuad [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/08/AR2006080800990.html End This Tragedy Now: Israel Must Be Made to Respect International Law] Washington Post, 9 August 2006