Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Lebanese security remains robust despite presidential vacuum, minister says

Lebanese security remains robust despite presidential vacuum, minister says

As the Lebanese state continues to operate without a new president in place, the security services will take all necessary steps to maintain order, the country’s acting interior minister said on Tuesday.
Following a meeting with the Central Internal Security Council, caretaker minister Bassam Mawlawi said security is something all Lebanese require and “it is the duty of security bodies to maintain it using all available means.”

He said the number of crimes is “low compared to the same period last year” and “the situation in the Syrian refugee camps is highly under control.” Members of eight terrorist cells have been arrested this year, he added.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese army command announced that some units “have conducted exercises that simulate dealing with protesters, conducting raids and arresting wanted persons in Amchit, Tripoli, Jbeil, Beirut and Saida.”

The exercises “are part of the training following the concept of counterterrorism operations SOFEX 2022, implemented with the participation of American and British training teams,” the command said. An exercise in the coastal city of Jounieh simulated the handling of a security incident inside a bank and the arrest of the perpetrators. In recent weeks, amid growing frustration among bank customers over not being allowed to withdraw their savings, a number of customers, some armed, have stormed banks demanding their cash.

Army chief Joseph Aoun said: “This presidential vacuum period that the country is witnessing amid political tensions between parties might be accompanied by attempts to exploit the situation in order to compromise security.”

The presidential vacuum, following the conclusion of President Michel Aoun’s term at the end of October without any agreement among parties on a replacement, entered its second week on Tuesday and there appeared little hope that a new president would be chosen on Thursday during a fifth parliamentary session called by speaker Nabih Berri.

Meanwhile, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati is attending the UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh. On the sidelines of the event he met on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who emphasized the need as a matter of “priority to carry out the Lebanese presidential elections, in order to achieve the regular functioning of institutions,” according to Mikati’s media office.

Hezbollah and its allies have yet to announce their preferred presidential candidate. Parliamentary blocs that oppose Hezbollah have nominated MP Michel Mouawad, while independent MPs have nominated academician Issam Khalifeh.

Army chief Aoun said that his troops are not involved in the political conflicts and will not take sides.

“What matters to the army, first and foremost, is maintaining stability and civil peace,” he said. “We will not let anyone take advantage of the situation and turn our country into an arena susceptible to security incidents and suspicious movements. Security disruption is not allowed. It has always been one of the army’s fundamental constants and will remain so.”

Rami Rayyes, an adviser to the head of the Progressive Socialist Party, told Arab News: “The greater the political exposure in Lebanon, the higher the risk of economic and security deterioration, especially in the absence of effective constitutional authorities.”

He said the makeup of parliament does not allow any one party to unilaterally exercise power, “therefore consulting each other is inevitable.”

Meanwhile, Barbara A. Leaf, the US assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, warned that “Lebanon is open to all scenarios, including a complete disintegration of the state. The Internal Security Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces might lose control and mass immigration might take place.”

She was speaking at an event devoted to US policy in Lebanon, which was hosted by the Wilson Center and moderated by David Hale, a former American ambassador to Lebanon.

“I believe that the diplomats themselves will pack up their belongings and move to Europe,” said Leaf. “It is not the duty of foreign diplomats to go to parliament and put pressure on the cabinet to elect a president.

“We are putting pressure on political leaders to carry out their work; however, nothing will have the same impact as public pressure and, sooner or later, it will mount again.”

Leaf stressed that Lebanon urgently needs to elect a president and appoint a prime minister, then form a government that has full authority to make important decisions, including fundamental reforms and approval of loans of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank for funding energy deals.

She said the US is ready to work with the government to help ensure Lebanon has an administration with the full authority to take official action to implement the required economic reforms.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×