Charbel: Central Security Council Will Take Final Decision on Removing Extra Guards of Some MPs

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel questioned the media uproar and “lawmakers' hysteria” over the decision to withdraw the additional security forces of some lawmakers, reported al-Joumhouria newspaper on Saturday.

He told the daily that the decision has not taken effect yet and it will be approved or rejected by the Central Security Council during an upcoming meeting.

“I do not believe that the addition guards offer any real security to any of the political leaderships should they be targeted,” he remarked.

“Some of the members do not even perform security duties,” he added.

“The decision to withdraw the security forces will be reconsidered in some exceptional cases,” continued the minister.

“The danger some officials face does not change whether they have an extra security forces member or not,” Charbel stressed.

“The crimes in the past demonstrated that the extra guards only serve to increase the number of victims in the attack,” he stated.

The security forces of several March 14 camp MPs were withdrawn on Thursday at the orders of the Central Security Council.

The additional guards of Phalange MPs Nadim and Sami Gemayel and Elie Marouni were withdrawn, as well as those of Lebanese Forces lawmaker Antoine Zahra.

The Interior Ministry explained on Thursday that the security forces were withdrawn because having additional members is a violation of decree number 2512.

The withdrawn forces will “undergo training and serve in police stations all over Lebanon.”

"The protection of figures is the responsibility of the general-directorate of the Internal Security Forces' officers,” added the Ministry.