Charbel: ISF Wants to Disarm People, Not Distribute Weapons

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel denied that the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau is randomly distributing arms among the people, An Nahar newspaper reported on Saturday.

“This will never happen under my tenure,” he stressed.

The newspaper quoted him as saying that the statements of Arab Democratic Party political relations official Rifaat Ali Eid are “only political stances and untrue.”

The minister was responding to statements Eid made to al-Manar television.

“The ISF aims to disarm people, not distribute weapons among them,” Charbel stated.

He told Voice of Lebanon radio that “harsh measures” will be taken to prevent the recurrence of what happened in Tripoli.

The minister added that the timing of the clashes soon after the formation of Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s government is alarming.

He said: “The Lebanese will witness an end to the situation in Tripoli. The army and security forces were directed to hit with an iron fist those targeting the peace.”

The minister emphasized that “civil peace is a red line.”

Charbel told al-Liwaa newspaper “Hopefully, we will reach desired results with the cooperation of ISF chief Ashraf Rifi who expressed readiness to collaborate with us, along with all other Interior Ministry employees, in order to ensure the rise of the state.”