 Khurshid Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Sidon, claimed "that at the beginning of the war, Maronite priests stirred up their parishioners by promising them that the French fleet would come to their assistance".For the Ottomans, European agents and local Maronites were responsible for enticing the war, with the ultimate goal of re-establishing a strong pro-European Christian government for Lebanon.Ultimately, the Ottomans would have no choice but to work with Tobia Aoun and the Maronite clergy in solidifying their rule over Mount Lebanon.