Charbel: All Forms of Autonomous Security are Rejected by the State

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel urged on Wednesday the people to attend to Lebanon's security, but rejected the phenomenon of autonomous security.

He said: “All forms of autonomous security are rejected by the state.”

He made his remarks during a press conference ahead of a meeting of the Central Security Council.

The minister added that the people should allow the state's official security agencies to perform their duties, calling on them to contact them through the hotline 112.

Moreover, Charbel stressed that only the state's security agencies are entitled to set up checkpoints.

Municipal police are prohibited from setting up checkpoints and their security role is limited to monitoring people and suspicious vehicles, he explained.

The municipal police should report any suspicious activity to the security forces, he added.

He also rejected political parties' erection of checkpoints.

Hizbullah had set up checkpoints in and around its stronghold of Dahieh in Beirut's southern suburbs in light of a bombing the Ruwais area.

Twenty-seven people were killed and 280 wounded in the bombing that took place on August 15.

Commenting on the security of foreign embassies, Charbel said: “We are keen to avoid attacks against embassies.”

“We will study the security of embassies with the concerned authorities in order to take the appropriate measures,” remarked the interior minister.

The American embassy in Beirut said Friday that its non-essential staff and family members are being evacuated from Lebanon because of "threats to U.S. mission facilities and personnel."

Lebanese authorities said however that they had boosted security measures at foreign diplomatic missions ahead of any possible international military action against Syria.

The Department of State also urged U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon “because of current safety and security concerns,” noting that “U.S. citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry assured on Saturday that his country is not paving the way to evacuate all its employees from Beirut.