The appointment was announced by Information Minister Tareq Mitri after Friday's cabinet meeting at the presidential palace, which also made other diplomatic and military appointments, Naharnet reported.
President Michel Suleiman had been the commander of the Lebanese army until he was elected president on May 25, and the post has been vacant since then as differences between various Lebanese factions delayed the appointment.
Qahwaji, 54, has headed the army's 12th Infantry Brigade since 2002. He has also undergone training in the United States and Germany.
