Hundred forty-third edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: August 2009)

Intelligence profile: Lebanon

Background

Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this territory and separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920. France granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been disbanded, with the exception of Hizbollah. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized Syria's troop deployment. Israel's withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and after massive demonstrations Syria withdraw its forces as well in 2005. In July 2006, Hizbollah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel in which approximately 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed. UNSCR 1701 ended the war in August 2006, and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deployed throughout the country for the first time in decades, charged with securing Lebanon's borders against weapons smuggling and maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon with the help of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp, winning a decisive victory, but destroying the camp and displacing 30,000 Palestinian residents.

General

Country name	:	Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah (Lebanese Republic)
Short name	:	Lubnan (Lebanon)
Capital	:	Beirut

Administrative divisions	:	8 governorates (mohafazat); Beqaa, Beyrouth, Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye, Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel.

Military branches

Lebanese Armed Forces (Al Quwwat al Jawwiya al Lubnaniya): Army (includes Navy) and Air Force.

Intelligence & security

General Directorate of General Security

General Security Service (Al Amen Alaam)

General Directorate of Internal Security Forces (ISF)

Army Intelligence Directorate (Moukhabarat-al Jaish)

Second Bureau

General directorate of general security

On 12 June 1959 Legislative decree No. 139 came into force and turned the General Security into a General Directorate that reports directly to the Minister of Interior.

The General Directorate of State Security has 5 directorates:

Mount Lebanon Directorate
North Directorate
Beirut Directorate
Bekaa Directorate
South Directorate

The tasks of the Directorate include amongst other things:

Collection of political, economic and social information and the evaluation and analysis of this information.
Counter-espionage and countering enemy activity banned.
Organizing surveillance acts on the press and the censorship on other media.
Escorting foreign and Lebanese statesmen.
Coordinating with other security services, such as the General Directorate of General Security, Internal Security Forces and Army Intelligence Directorate, in matters concerning inquiries and information exchange.

General directorate of internal security forces - Internal security forces (ISF)

The Directorate is tasked with the collection of information concerning internal state security; investigation of external information from acting agencies and verification, analysis, classification and forwarding this information to the relevant authorities.

Other tasks include the surveillance of foreigners by inquiring their actions that relate to state security, and surveillance of relations between Lebanese citizens and foreign parties in what concerns state security; Counter-espionage; Preliminary investigations of acts which jeopardize internal and external state security; Coordinating with other security services, such as the General Directorate of General Security, and Army Intelligence Directorate, in matters concerning inquiries and information exchange.

On 6 September 1990 the following units were created within the ISF:

General Staff:
Includes Bureaus in charge of preparing studies and giving advises to the Director General.
Central Administration:
Includes administrative and technical sections in charge of financial, supplies and equipment management of the ISF and the buildings they own or dispose of.
Social Services Administration:
Includes the magazine of the ISF, private funds created by decrees for the ISF, clubs and other cultural, intellectual and social services.
Territorial Gendarmery:
Includes all sections operating out of Beirut except for those who are completely or partially connected to another unit.
Mobile Battalion:
is a general reserve force at ISF and is prepared for policing and establishing security in all of the Lebanese territory. It includes all mobile battalions based in and outside Beirut.
Police of Beirut:
Its prerogatives include the territory of Beirut city. It is formed of sections related to it except for those who completely or partially connected to another unit.
Judiciary Police:
Its prerogatives include all of the Lebanese territory and is formed of scientific and tourist Police and sections for crime repression, enquiries and investigations.
Security of Embassies, Public administrations and Institutions. It is formed of all sections in charge of diplomatic delegations guard in Lebanon, as well as public administrations and Institutions.
Institute of the ISF:
Includes all colleges and schools of the Internal Security Forces and training Centers.

Military intelligence

The Lebanese Special Operations Command include:

Navy Commando Regiment
Commandos Regiment (Maghaweer)
Airborne Regiment (Moujawkal)
Striking Force Anti-Terrorism Branch (Kouwa el-Dareba)
Counter-Sabotage Regiment (Moukafaha).

The Moukafaha is a regiment of the Military Intelligence (Moukhabarat-al Jaish). The Second Bureau of the Army Intelligence Directorate includes personnel from the army, navy and air force.

Sources