The French Ambassador has visited the internal security forces academy in Aramoun, in order to follow up the developments of the cooperation between the French police and the internal security forces

On 17/11/2020, the French Ambassador to Lebanon, Mrs. Anne Grillo,
visited the Internal Security Forces Institute in Aaramoun, accompanied by the
Internal Security Attaché Fabrice Grossir, and a delegation from the embassy,
​​where she was received by the Director General of the Internal Security Forces,
Major General Imad Osman, in the presence of The Institute s Commander General
Ahmed Al-Hajjar, the Commander of the Judicial Police Unit, General Maher Al-
Halabi, and a number of senior officers.

This visit aims to review the development of the existing cooperation
between the French police and the ISF, through training, donations, and
contributions made for the benefit of the ISF, especially those submitted for the
benefit of the Institute, in order to enhance cooperation between France and
Lebanon on issues such as combating terrorism and organized crime.

Major General Osman, Ambassador Grillo and the accompanying delegation
toured the Institute and were briefed on the most prominent techniques used by the
French trainers, then the Protection and Intervention Branch in the Information
Department and the Search and Intervention Detachment (BRI) in the Judicial
Police Unit carried out several maneuvers in the training village, and these
maneuvers were highly appreciated by the attendees.

On this occasion, several speeches were delivered in the hall of Major
General Ahmed Al-Hajj:
Speech of the French Ambassador:

This visit confirms to me the importance of this strategic choice that we have
made together, by strengthening our work in the interest of the ISF Institute,
which, according to what I have noted, is a key institution in the ISF Strategic Plan
2018-2022.

The Academy is indeed our partner in the training activities that France
conducts with it because this is its role, and with its remarkable infrastructure, it is
a distinct support for the various cooperation activities that we carry out with the
ISF or with various Directorates (General Security, Municipal Police, and Civil
Defense And so on) within the Institute, such as training on nuclear, radiological,
biological and chemical hazards or training specialized dogs to prevent Corona 19
virus, etc... All these joint actions help maintain common work habits and
exchange experiences that benefit our two countries, which today are facing
similar security challenges, such as the terrorist threat, organized crime, and health
risks, to name a few.

By choosing France as a reference partner for the training of your police
force you show your trust in us. But we also choose Lebanon as a strategic partner
because, as we mentioned, we have a shared history and cooperation that can be
described as constitutive between the police services (referring to Lieutenant
Meister who founded the ISF Institute). But it is also strategic in light of Lebanon s
place in a turbulent region at times and the importance of the common threats that
our citizens must face. Consequently, we have a common interest in facing security
challenges, which oblige us to renew ourselves continuously. As such, and in the
area of ​​combating terrorism and organized crime, I would also like to highlight the
work done with the ISF’s BRI, a high-level service, led by the Information
Department and the Judicial Police.

Dear Major General Osman, I know how much you and General Maher
Halabi are investing recently giving a second breath to this project to develop the
BRI branch within the Judicial Police. I also take this opportunity to announce a
funding of 100,000 Euros for combating terrorism and organized crime and
435,000 Euros for managing industrial risks in Lebanon, including 365,000 Euros
for installing a dedicated technical platform that will be added to the institute.

When France commits, it makes a concrete commitment to you.

Speech of Major General Imad Osman:
First of all, we would like to extend our thanks to Her Excellency the
Ambassador of France to Lebanon for granting us the honor of making a first
operational visit to the Aaramoun Institute, welcoming Her Excellency to our
beloved country, Lebanon, whose fate have been intersecting with that of France
for centuries. Let us recall together what was said by General de Gaulle on July the
27 th 1941 in Beirut when he declared: “The Lebanese people are the only people
whose heart has never stopped beating at the same pace as the heart of France.”
France also proves to us today that it is still keen on Lebanon, which it has always
been by its side in the past, even under the most difficult circumstances in its
history. We, the Lebanese and the French people, have a unique form of mutual
relations that converge around common values ​​represented by each of us
respecting the identity of the other. We also practice and live together, on a daily
basis, a distinguished relationship that is characterized by its depth, diversity and
multiplicity. Within the framework of this pluralistic relationship, security
cooperation between our two countries is a common factor for a more stable and
safer Lebanon.

In fact, the strong partnership that exists between Lebanon and France goes
back a long time, and today it translates into strong ties that extend beyond the
field of security cooperation to include high-level relations in cultural, economic,
political and other fields. However, Franco-Lebanese cooperation in the security
field, centered on combating terrorism, organized crime and civil protection, and
reinforced by training courses and donations of equipment, is a unique and
comprehensive cooperation as well.

When I talk about our cooperation, I am talking about its uniqueness because
it contributed to the provision of French knowledge and skills by a distinguished
group of professionals, and to re-adapt them to the Lebanese system.

In addition, the concept of sustainability comes to add to this uniqueness of
relations, because the tasks of cooperation ensure a permanent exchange, which
allows our institutions to interact with each other and exchange valuable
information in various fields. I cite, for example, the training courses in
negotiation, surveillance and counter-terrorism provided for the SWAT Brigade
and the Search and Investigation Bureau (BRI) in the Judicial Police and the
Search and Intervention (BRI) Bureau in the Information Department, which have
always achieved positive results.

As the Director General of the Internal Security Forces, let me assure you
that our Institution has always lived up to the national and global aspirations, as it.
succeeded in protecting our citizens and achieving security on Lebanese soil
despite the complexity of threats and the growing acts of violence. The new ISF
strategy was the main factor behind this national success, as it strengthens the
proactive prevention operations, contributes to the maximum use of information,
and places cooperation at the core of its priorities and makes citizen service the
essence of the police’s work.

As for the coming years, our needs are numerous, varied, and well defined
according to a five-year strategic plan, in which France s contribution will be
among the most generous as we have known it to be.

I would like to thank France for the distinguished investments that it makes
for the benefit of Lebanon through the various tasks and activities that are set
annually in order to enhance the work of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces
with the aim of supporting the authorities in building the Lebanon of tomorrow.

I would also like to thank the Internal Security Service at the French
Embassy for the daily support and follow-up it provides, and for the tremendous
work it accomplishes for the benefit of the Internal Security Forces.

I also extend my thanks to all the Internal Security Forces personnel of all
ranks who have demonstrated exemplary work in their service and in the
unparalleled sacrifice in these difficult times in the history of our beloved country.
 

Speech of General Al Hajjar:

I can only acknowledge the existing cooperation in the field of combating
terrorism and organized crime, as well as in the field of civil security, especially
the threats to NRBC, as the Institute is a distinct training site for this purpose and a
joint Lebanese-French project that we rely on in the future to serve as a
distinguished NRBC training center at the national and regional levels.

Dear Director General – Major General, You have always been supportive
of the ISF Institute in the process of development and modernization, you are at the
heart of any positive and visionary change for our Institution. Here, I promise you,
on behalf of the officers and personnel of the Institute, that we will always live up
to the expectations required in order to contribute to providing the highest level of
professionalism to the ISF Units and personnel, and this will definitely be our only
way to serve our society and our citizens, and to ensure their security in an
effective framework of partnership and mutual trust.

I would like to refer to the pivotal role of the Internal Security Service in the
French Embassy in securing the conditions for productive and constructive
cooperation, and I would like to commend the tireless and effective work that we
have done with Mr. Fabrice Grossir since the first day of his arrival to Lebanon as
head of the Internal Security Service at the French embassy.

In addition to everything I have mentioned earlier in the field of cooperation,
the Institute plans promising future projects, including:
 Membership in the Francopol network, which will allow the Institute to
access a platform rich in Francophone police knowledge, and to enrich
mutual knowledge with the various members of this network.
 The Partnership project with DCRFPN: ​​the Central Directorate of
Recruitment and Training of the National Police, which will ensure
outstanding flexibility and competence in the exchange of experiences and
knowledge with all police training entities in France.
 The partnership between the Institute and the ENSP, to ensure professional
exchange in the strategic planning and management of the commanding
officers of our Institution.

Another project of paramount importance is supposed to be moving forward
and is related to cooperation and partnership with the Faculty of Law - at the
University of Jean Moulin and ENSP, in order to provide the opportunity for
Captains nominated for the rank of Major in the Internal Security Forces to obtain
a master s degree in the field of internal security. Francophone also remains at the
core of our concerns, as we participate annually in trainings for our officers and
personnel in French language as a foreign language.

The meeting in the hall of Major General Ahmed al-Haj included a
presentation through the technique of "power point", by Captain Hamza Haider
Ahmed, which included the development of training at the Institute and the stages
of development and modernization pursued by the Internal Security Forces within
the strategic plan 2018-2022.