Charbel Says Armed Forces Can Impose Security Despite Huge Strain

Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel rejected the so-called self-security for leading to divisions in the country, while stressing that the Lebanese Armed Forces were capable of carrying out their duties.

In remarks to An Nahar newspaper published on Monday, Charbel said: “Private security measures are rejected because they divide the nation.”

“No one should take advantage of the security situation to impose his own security,” he said in a veiled reference to Hizbullah which has set up checkpoints in and around the Beirut's southern suburbs.

The Hizbullah move came after two deadly bombings rocked neighborhoods in its stronghold in the suburbs.

“The state is not incapable of carrying out its duties despite the huge burden on the Army, Internal Security Forces and General Security whether inside (Lebanon) or on the border,” Charbel told An Nahar.

The caretaker minister stressed that his initiative to seek help from municipal police aims at “confronting the strain on the security” forces.

This step has led to positive results, he said.

The security forces have arrested 6,070 people for committing different crimes in an unprecedented move, Charbel said, without giving details as to when the arrests were made.

The minister's remarks came against the backdrop of claims by top Hizbullah officials that their calls for bolstering security in Beirut's southern suburbs went unanswered.