Helou, Charles Alexandre

▪ 2002

      Lebanese politician (b. Dec. 25, 1912, Beirut, Lebanon—d. Jan. 7, 2001, Beirut), served as president of Lebanon from 1964 to 1970. After receiving a law degree, Hélou edited two French-language newspapers, L'Eclair du Nord in 1932 and Le Jour in 1935–46. He was ambassador to the Vatican in 1947 and later held several cabinet posts, including minister of justice and health (1954–55) and minister of education (1964). Hélou earned the support of Pres. Fuad Chehab and became his successor when Chehab retired in 1964. Not long after his inauguration as president, Hélou agreed at an Arab summit meeting to Arab sponsorship of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), but he refused to allow the stationing of PLO bases in Lebanon, an issue that grew increasingly explosive during the course of his term. In 1968–69 a pattern emerged in which Hélou—a Christian—and the army command opposed the stationing of Palestinian guerrillas in Lebanon, while the Muslim prime minister, Rashid Karami, favoured it. Under great pressure from Arab nations and from Lebanese Muslims, Hélou in 1969 moved to avert a crisis by accepting Karami's proposed policy of coordination between the PLO and the Lebanese army, whereby the PLO secured the right to establish armed units in Lebanese refugee camps. After leaving office in 1970, Hélou had little involvement in public affairs, though he served briefly as minister of state in 1979.

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