Michel Suleiman

Suleiman was appointed Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces in 1998, a position he held until 2008. He oversaw the military during the 2006 Lebanon War and the 2007 Nahr al-Bared conflict with Fatah al-Islam.

As army commander, Suleiman led the Lebanese military in a three-month siege of the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp against the militant group Fatah al-Islam. The conflict resulted in hundreds of casualties and the destruction of the camp.

Michel Suleiman was elected President of Lebanon on May 25, 2008, following the Doha Agreement that ended the 2008 political crisis. His election was a compromise between the March 8 and March 14 alliances, ending an 18-month presidential vacuum.

Suleiman's six-year presidential term ended on May 25, 2014, without a successor elected due to political deadlock. He left office as the last president before a 29-month vacuum, during which he remained in a caretaker capacity.