Lebanon security under control: Interior Minister

Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Nohad al-Machnouk says the security situation in Lebanon is "under control" despite "the possibility of potential surprises" given the chameleonic nature of terrorism.

The minister said his confidence is based on the professionalism of the Lebanese security agencies, which are performing with patriotism and practical co-ordination in their efforts to combat terrorism.

In a wide-ranging interview with Al-Mashareq, al-Machnouk also stressed the need for the international community to commit to providing the amount of assistance Lebanon needs to support it in its work to help Syrian refugees.

Al-Mashareq: How would you describe the security situation in Lebanon?

Al-Machnouk: Security in Lebanon is under control. It cannot be said that the situation is good or bad, but it is under control. There is always the possibility of potential surprises, especially as we are dealing with an unknown enemy who is unpredictable, shifty, wears different clothes and uses various ways and means.

The [Nice] incident is evidence of this. Who would imagine such a method of killing innocent people without the availability of explosives and weapons?

That said, the concerned [Lebanese] security agencies, including the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces, the General Directorate of General Security and the army’s Directorate of Intelligence are working around the clock.

We must stop here for a moment and consider the remarkable achievement represented by the importance of the pre-emptive operations that were carried out by these agencies and spared Lebanon from major terrorist attacks. Several international bodies have lauded this outstanding achievement.

Al-Mashareq: Two areas in Lebanon are sources of tension and security concerns, namely Arsal on the border with Syria and the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in the city of Sidon. How are they being dealt with?

Al-Machnouk: We follow a policy of containment rather than confrontation in both areas. We have imposed security cordons around them and prevent infiltration into them or out of them to adjacent areas [to prevent] terrorist attacks [...].

This policy has so far been successful because we control those areas. We encircled them and put them under surveillance to prevent any movement, and this puts us in a safe situation, because any thought of entering the camp or creating a military contact zone, either in the camp or in Arsal, is doomed to fail because it would lead to widespread military clashes. This containment plan has been successful up to this point, as the army is playing a major role in it.

Al-Mashareq: In light of Lebanon's political and economic crisis, what is the secret of the security agencies’ success in controlling security and fighting terrorism?

Al-Machnouk: The secret lies in the professionalism of these agencies. This can be attributed to the fact that their personnel are motivated enlistees, and accordingly do not act as employees but rather as enlistees working around the clock. We now have Information Branch personnel who are very highly qualified in various areas related to security, investigation, surveillance and pursuit and undergo training courses on a constant basis, and the same applies to the army and general security [personnel].

From the practical aspect, the reason for the success is attributable to three elements combined, namely patriotism and enlistment, experience and competence, and training, in addition to the non-existence of an incubating environment for terrorism in Lebanon. Despite the poor economic situation and repercussions of the Syrian displacement on the economic cycle, no incubating environment for terrorism has been created; on the contrary, the events have shown the existence of an environment that rejects it.

Al-Mashareq: To what extent does international assistance contribute to the development of the work of security agencies and raise the level of their professional performance?

Al-Machnouk: The army is receiving significant determinate military assistance every year without interruption. The fact that this assistance [...] is continuing to flow in, has made it of great military value. On the other hand, the assistance that other agencies receive is very limited.

We are fighting with all we have, and we have no choice but to continue to fight terrorism and defend our society, our institutions and our state.

Al-Mashareq: What assistance do the agencies need to develop their performance?

Al-Machnouk: There are two essential elements to the development of the performance of the security services: The first is continuous training, while the second is upgrading technological capabilities, which is key, because security forces do not need armour as much as they need sophisticated technological capabilities.

Al-Mashareq: To what extent does the aid provided to Lebanon help it in dealing with the large number of refugees it hosts?

Al-Machnouk: We have not received significant aid for the Lebanese communities hosting Syrian refugees, and most of the aid goes directly to the refugees, while the aid to host communities is very limited and they receive it through their municipalities.

In this regard, Lebanon is falling short in prevailing upon the international community to provide material, practical and necessary aid to Lebanese host communities which are struggling with infrastructure problems and hosting large numbers of refugees.

Al-Mashareq: What is the role of the Ministry of Interior in dealing with the refugees?

Al-Machnouk: Our policy is clear. The ministry has been enforcing the government's decision to block the entry of additional Syrian citizens into Lebanon as refugees for more than a year and a half, except for humanitarian cases, which require the prior approval of the Ministers of Interior and Social Affairs. This is the only thing we can do.

Lebanon has adopted a policy of non-refoulement of refugees for any reason, due to the lack of assurance that they will not be subjected to harm if they were forcibly returned to Syria.

Al-Mashareq: To what extent does the absence of a president affect the performance of public institutions, and the security services in particular?

Al-Machnouk: This absence has a direct effect in terms of rendering the government and other constitutional institutions ineffective and paralysed, and the security agencies are consequently affected by this.

However, [the government] has been keen since the start of the presidential vacuum in May 2014 not to let this void affect the Ministry of Interior's security forces. This policy has succeeded, and we can say that the same policy also has succeeded with the army, as the manner in which army commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji has directed military affairs in the absence of a president has prevented the consequences of the void from extending to the military establishment.

So, I would say the work of the security agencies affiliated with the Interior Ministry and the army, which relies more on patriotism and enlistment than formal employment, is not susceptible to being affected by the constitutional void.

Al-Mashareq: Are you satisfied with the existing co-operation between the security agencies?

Al-Machnouk: This has been my goal since I assumed the Ministry of Interior. There has been significant improvement with regard to the co-ordination between the security agencies over the past two years, and it is now excellent, successful, lasting and continuous.

Al-Mashareq: You recently issued a statement in which you said you expect a president to be elected before the end of this year. What is the basis of your expectation?

Al-Machnouk: What prompted me to state that position is on the one hand my desire to see the situation stabilised, and on the other the existence of certain encouraging information.