U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea met with Internal Security Forces (ISF) chief Major General Imad Othman on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the signing of the first letter of agreement between the United States.
The agreement was signed through the Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF), on October 5, 2007.
“Since 2007, the United States has remained a steadfast partner of the ISF, having provided more than $210 million in law enforcement assistance, in addition to constructing the modern ISF academy at Aramoun. The United States provided equipment and vehicles worth millions of dollars to improve civilian law enforcement,” the statement added.
Ambassador Shea said that “it is no secret that these are difficult times for Lebanon. Throughout this challenging period, our support of the ISF has been unwavering and will continue.”
She stressed that the United States is proud to continue to support and strengthen the ISF as a central institution to the future of the Lebanese state.
It’s worth mentioning that U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman signed in 2007 the first letter of the agreement in providing an initial $60 million of assistance to strengthen the skills, equipment, and administration of the ISF.
At the time, Ambassador Feltman had said that “a strong army should be complimented by a well-trained and well-equipped police force, such as the ISF.”
