National News Agency
The Higher Defense Council convened on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace at 12:00 pm in a session chaired by President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, and attended by Prime Minister, Hassan Diab.
The Council decided to request security, military and customs agencies to maintain communication and coordination to increase their effectiveness in combatting smuggling and to work to anticipate operations by exchanging information, in addition to monitoring any suspicious plans, while taking utmost measures and procedures against violators.
At the beginning, President Aoun indicated that “The issue of combatting smuggling is one of the priorities in order to preserve the Lebanese state’s reputation on one hand, and financial revenues on the other, especially in the current difficult economic conditions which Lebanon passes through”.
“The measures have already been taken, but there are still gaps which must be filled, especially since smuggling operations are carried out by effective and organized networks which are experienced in this issue, and according to innovative and sophisticated methods. Contacts which have been made must be accompanied by practical measures to restore confidence to the taken measures. In this context, the priority is to install scanners along land and sea crossings, in conjunction with coordination between security apparatuses to achieve greater effectiveness,” the President added.
President Aoun also stressed the need to strengthen measures to combat smuggling, noting the uncovering of the smuggling of tons of Keif Hash which were intended to be smuggled through Sayda Port to Egypt. Such and achievement, which was achieved despite the meager means available, gradually restores confidence in the Lebanese monitoring of crossings.
For his part, Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, affirmed that people should understand the right to protest and object against the delay in forming the government and difficult social and living conditions, “However, people also must be protected from insecurity. What is required today is proactive security, and intensified patrols to protect the Lebanese and Lebanon”.
Deputy Prime Minister, National Defense and Foreign Affairs Minister Zeina Akar, Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni, Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi, Economy and Trade Minister Raoul Nehme, Public Works Minister Michel Najjar, Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar, Health Minister Hamad Hassan, Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm, and Culture and Agriculture Minister Abbas Mortada, attended the meeting.
Also attending were: Army Chief of Staff Major General Amin El-Aram, Director General of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Director General of Internal Security Forces Major General Imad Othman, Director General of State Security Major General Tony Saliba, Secretary General of the Higher Defense Council Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Fady Akiki, Chairman of the Customs’ Supreme Council Ret. Brigadier Assad Toufaili, Acting Director General of Customs Raymond Khoury, Assistant Director General of State Security Brigadier Samir Sannan, Army Intelligence Director Brigadier Antoine Kahwajy, Head of Information Branch in Internal Security Forces Brigadier Khaled Hammoud, Head of Information Branch in General Security Brigadier Youssef Medawar, Presidency Director General Antoine Choucair, and the President’s Security and Military Advisor Ret. Brigadier Paul Matar.
The Council decided to request security, military and customs agencies to maintain communication and coordination to increase their effectiveness in combatting smuggling and to work to anticipate operations by exchanging information, in addition to monitoring any suspicious plans, while taking utmost measures and procedures against violators.
At the beginning, President Aoun indicated that “The issue of combatting smuggling is one of the priorities in order to preserve the Lebanese state’s reputation on one hand, and financial revenues on the other, especially in the current difficult economic conditions which Lebanon passes through”.
“The measures have already been taken, but there are still gaps which must be filled, especially since smuggling operations are carried out by effective and organized networks which are experienced in this issue, and according to innovative and sophisticated methods. Contacts which have been made must be accompanied by practical measures to restore confidence to the taken measures. In this context, the priority is to install scanners along land and sea crossings, in conjunction with coordination between security apparatuses to achieve greater effectiveness,” the President added.
President Aoun also stressed the need to strengthen measures to combat smuggling, noting the uncovering of the smuggling of tons of Keif Hash which were intended to be smuggled through Sayda Port to Egypt. Such and achievement, which was achieved despite the meager means available, gradually restores confidence in the Lebanese monitoring of crossings.
For his part, Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, affirmed that people should understand the right to protest and object against the delay in forming the government and difficult social and living conditions, “However, people also must be protected from insecurity. What is required today is proactive security, and intensified patrols to protect the Lebanese and Lebanon”.
Deputy Prime Minister, National Defense and Foreign Affairs Minister Zeina Akar, Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni, Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi, Economy and Trade Minister Raoul Nehme, Public Works Minister Michel Najjar, Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar, Health Minister Hamad Hassan, Justice Minister Marie-Claude Najm, and Culture and Agriculture Minister Abbas Mortada, attended the meeting.
Also attending were: Army Chief of Staff Major General Amin El-Aram, Director General of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Director General of Internal Security Forces Major General Imad Othman, Director General of State Security Major General Tony Saliba, Secretary General of the Higher Defense Council Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Fady Akiki, Chairman of the Customs’ Supreme Council Ret. Brigadier Assad Toufaili, Acting Director General of Customs Raymond Khoury, Assistant Director General of State Security Brigadier Samir Sannan, Army Intelligence Director Brigadier Antoine Kahwajy, Head of Information Branch in Internal Security Forces Brigadier Khaled Hammoud, Head of Information Branch in General Security Brigadier Youssef Medawar, Presidency Director General Antoine Choucair, and the President’s Security and Military Advisor Ret. Brigadier Paul Matar.
