Diab visits ISF headquarters: State does not physically exist in the minds of people

Prime Minister Hassan Diab considered Saturday that ‘the state does not physically exist in the minds of people, and has lost their confidence because it broke away from them.”

“The State has lost its identity when the idea of a merger between politics, power and ruling powers took root,” he said.

“Today, there is a need for the State’s disengagement from the interests of the ruling class and for establishing a direct link between the State and the citizen,” Diab underlined, adding that through this disengagement “the State can regain its prestige and image, and this is how we begin to purify the idea of the State from the concept of authority.

PM Diab’s words came in his address today before high-ranking officers and heads of units during his visit this morning to the Directorate General of the Internal Security Forces, accompanied by his advisors Khodr Taleb and Hussein Kaafarani, where he was received by the Minister of Interior Mohammad Fahmi and Major-General Imad Othman, Director General of the Internal Security Forces., where an took place.

Following the official welcome ceremony, Prime Minister Diab held a meeting with Minister Fahmi and Major-General Othman, in the presence of PM advisor M. Taleb, before heading to the conference hall to address ISF officers.

In his welcoming remarks, the Director General of the Internal Security Forces said:

First of all, I have the honor, in my name, and on behalf of the Internal Security Forces’ Command Council, officers, non-commissioned officers, and staff, to welcome you here to the headquarters of the most prestigious establishment in the Lebanese state, to an institution that is more than a century and a half old, and to the first institution to raise the Lebanese flag on its buildings.

The ISF’s 159 years of life have witnessed many events, situations, and difficulties that have hindered its work. Nevertheless, it has remained at the same level of responsibility in terms of development and of keeping pace with the global security institutions and services, especially those in civilized countries.

The Internal Security Forces’ mandate is to protect citizens’ rights, security, movements and properties, and it was established to maintain order, consolidate security, ensure the implementation of laws and protect public freedoms within its scope of work.

It is also entrusted with the mission of carrying out multiple tasks in the field of administrative and judicial police, under the supervision of the judiciary, as well as various tasks including escorts, prison administration and traffic control.

The law, on the other hand, has granted the Internal Security Forces multiple rights and coercive powers, to secure legal protection for its staff while carrying out their duties, according to specific rules stipulating that it is imperative to avoid resorting to violence when necessity does not dictate so.

Excellencies,  

Internal Security Forces’ personnel are committed to perform their duties within the limits of the legal texts governing their work and tasks.

ISF officers and non-commissioned officers are doing their best to implement laws, maintain order and establish security.

From October 17 to date, the Internal Security Forces are keeping forces at a high state of readiness to respond to every new event, and they carry out their tasks with distinct professionalism and ultimate neutrality that put them at equal distance from everyone.

Our institution that fought the fiercest battle against terrorism and espionage and worked tirelessly to counter them, in addition to combating all types and forms of crime, did not and will not find it difficult to perform the assigned tasks, depending on unfolding events in the country.

Your Excellency,

The Internal Security Forces appreciate your clear support, which we also felt from His Excellency Minister Mohammad Fahmi, son of the military institution, who is standing firmly by our institution, based on your conviction of the effective and pivotal national role played by the Internal Security Forces; we now feel that Minister Fahmi has become one of ours.

Excellencies,  

Your presence here today comes inevitably as a result of your appreciation for the work of this institution, for its staff carrying out sensitive duties with full responsibility, without equivocation and with remarkable transparency, especially after embedding the approach of serious and transparent accountability.

There is no doubt that we were the first State institution to have initiated the fight against corruption, starting from ourselves, and this has renewed  citizens’ confidence in us and has created an effective partnership with the community that has become slanted towards security just like security forces.

Your Excellency,

In conclusion, I welcome you again, and I solemnly repeat my pledge that I will pursue my career path in leading this institution in a way that restores the prestige of the State and its institutions and the citizens’ trust in them.

This is not a favor from us, but rather a duty and a fulfilment of the oath we made when we have joined this institution.

This country needs all of us, and all of its citizens, to be rebuilt in a way that enables it to be classified among fine and civilized countries.

Our country and its good people deserve the best.

Next, the Minister of Interior made the following remarks:

Your Excellency,

Welcome to this national institution whose first organizational nucleus was established in 1860 and that is, today, undoubtedly at par with most important security institutions in developed countries, thanks to its efforts and sacrifices in terms of maintaining order, strengthening security, protecting all Lebanese from All Lebanese regions and preserving all kinds of property, in addition to protecting and implementing relevant laws and regulations.

The blood of the martyrs and casualties of this institution and of other security institutions have generated many accomplishments, mainly field and security achievements, particularly in terms of pre-emptive security carried out by the General Directorate of the Internal Security Forces, especially the Information Department. It has also contributed significantly to protecting Lebanon and ensuring its survival, turning into a place of encounter for all Lebanese from various affiliations.

I will not speak too long; in my name and on behalf of officers, we thank you for your continuous support, and we promise you that this institution will remain, as it was since its establishment, at the service of Lebanon and Lebanese people.            

Long live Lebanon

Subsequently, PM Hassan Diab delivered the following speech:

Good morning,

I wish you a blessed month!

I extend my greetings to you for the great effort you are deploying to maintain security and public order and implement the provisions of the general mobilization, as well as the sacrifices you have made to protect the freedom of expression in the streets, and to face riots that attempted to derail and distort people's demands. You have been subject to many injuries amidst attacks that have targeted security forces and government institutions.

Hence, I have come today to encourage you and to commend the wise leadership of the Internal Security Forces, led by Director General Imad Othman, for having dealt with these events out of national responsibility, to protect the demonstrators, freedom of expression as well as public and private property.

Indeed, the State’s image is bleak in the eyes of the Lebanese. The State does not really exist in the minds of people. The State has sagged, as a result of practices that have snubbed its role. The state has lost its prestige for being deeply stabbed in the heart. The State has lost people's confidence because it broke away from them. The State has lost its identity when the idea of a merger between politics, power and ruling powers took root.

Actually, we do not have what is called a "deep state" that represents the idea of the state, and is not affected by a change in power except in terms of performance, but there is a deep system that represents power with all its components, even if the persons present at its table change.

Today, there is a need for State’s disengagement from the interests of the ruling class and for establishing a direct link between the State and the citizen.  

In practice, you represent the State’s frontage, and you should not be under any circumstance, and at any time, the ruling power’s arm over people.

Thus, the State can regain its prestige and image, and this is how we begin to purify the idea of the State from the concept of authority.

I know that you are facing many challenges, and you have succeeded, over the last period, in overcoming many minefields, with remarkable wisdom that I must acknowledge, owing to all the efforts exerted by officers, non-commissioned officers and staff.

In this context, I cannot help but praise His Excellency the Minister of the Interior, who provided an excellent picture of the Ministry of Interior with all its departments and who directly supervises all the details.

We are putting the country in your hands; you are responsible for preserving order, and I am confident that you are up to this national responsibility. For that reason, I am here today to shake your hands, for your protection is a necessity to perpetuate the idea and prestige of the State.

May God protect you so that you protect people and the country.

Long-live Lebanon!