Hizbullah hints at support for army commander as Lebanon's next president

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A senior Hizbullah official said the terror group holds army commander Michel Suleiman in high regard, further improving his chances of becoming Lebanon's next president and averting a political crisis. Hizbullah deputy leader Sheik Naim Kassem's comments Saturday came two days after the group's ally, Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun, said he will back Suleiman as a compromise candidate for president. The parliamentary majority also expressed its support for Suleiman this week, setting up a potential resolution to months of conflict with the Hizbullah -led opposition over choosing President Emile Lahoud's successor "We, in Hizbullah, ... have a positive view of Gen. Michel Suleiman in addition to our appreciation of Gen. Michel Aoun's stance and consider this alternative as a serious one," the white-turbaned cleric said on Hizbullah's al-Manar TV.