Inside the battle: Interior Minister and ISF Director clash over officer transfers

Lebanon's Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, and the General Director of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), Major General Imad Othman, have engaged in a heated dispute that revolves around a recent decision issued by Othman.

The disagreement stems from a telegraph dated June 27, 2023, which ordered the transfer of 23 officers from their primary positions to new centers and the inclusion of the Information Branch, headed by Brigadier General Khaled Hamoud, under the direct authority of the General Director.

However, the Interior Minister recently made a decisive move by canceling the telegraph and declaring that it should not be implemented at all. This has raised questions about the conflict between the two officials.

According to LBCI's sources, Major General Othman justified transferring the officers to new centers for exceptional reasons.

The primary catalyst behind this decision was the vacant position of Chief of Staff, which oversees 11 branches within the ISF. Orthodox Christian Brigadier General Naim Chammas previously held the position.

In the absence of appointments and due to retirement, the highest-ranking officer in the respective branch assumes the role of Chief of Staff. Brigadier General Hamoud took the position after Chammas' retirement, effectively becoming the acting Chief of Staff.

In an attempt to restore the position to an Orthodox Christian officer, Othman dismissed the three deputy chiefs who ranked higher in the administration than the Orthodox Christian officer, allowing him to assume the position of Chief of Staff.

As a result, Brigadier General Hamoud became subordinate to the General Director, while the other two deputy chiefs were removed from their positions. According to sources, the General Director typically executes these internal measures without requiring a decree from the Minister.

However, the Interior Minister viewed this internal decision as a clear violation.

In the Minister's recent decree, he emphasized that Othman's actions lacked a legal basis and that the dismissals of officers did not consider the hierarchical and sectarian criteria.

On July 4, the Interior Minister sent a letter to Major General Othman, requesting him to reverse the decision and restore the Information Branch to the jurisdiction of the General Staff. Notably, any modification to this decision requires a decree from the Cabinet.

When Othman did not respond to the letter, Mawlawi invoked Article 66 of the constitution, empowering him to enforce all regulations related to his ministry. On July 12, the Minister issued a decree nullifying Imad Othman's telegraph and warning of potential accountability.

Will Major General Othman comply with the Interior Minister's decree or overlook it, asserting that such internal measures fall within the sole authority of the General Director?

Moreover, some observers suggest that the dispute between Mawlawi and Othman is more politically charged than administrative or legal, potentially opening up debates about the management of the ISF in the upcoming phase.