The United States Presents 120 new police vehicles to the International Security Forces and Celebrates the Graduation of U.S. Trained Cadets

July 2, 2009

The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, David Johnson, and U.S. Ambassador Michele J. Sison presented 120 Dodge Charger police vehicles to the Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud, Internal Security Forces (ISF) Director General Achraf Rifi at the ISF Mobile Forces headquarters in Dbayeh on Wednesday, July 1.  Assistant Secretary Johnson and Ambassador Sison also joined General Rifi, who was represented by the Director of the ISF academy, General Abdel-Badih Sousi, at the graduation of 254 cadets from the U.S. Lebanese Basic cadet course at the ISF academy in Warwar on Thursday, July 2.   Attending both ceremonies were Mobile Forces Commander Robert Jabbour and members of the ISF Command Staff. 

Over 2250 ISF members have been trained by the U.S. police team in basic and advanced leadership courses.  The cadet course is a ten-week, state-of-the-art training program, taught by U.S. instructors and curriculum developers with the assistance of Lebanese police and legal professionals.  Cadets learn the latest policing and law enforcement skills and how to apply these to on-the-job situations. 

The 120 new, white police cars will be part of the ISF’s traffic management plan.  Bearing the ISF insignia and emergency phone number, each car includes a sophisticated police package with advanced transmission, brakes, lights and sirens.  This latest U.S. donation brings the total number of vehicles delivered to 480;  300 new black Dodge Chargers and sixty Ford Explorers were delivered in 2008.

The $80 million U.S. assistance program to the ISF strengthens the professional capacity of the ISF and is part of the overall U.S. security assistance program to Lebanon.  The law enforcement assistance program assists the ISF to enforce the rule of law and protect the Lebanese people within their sovereign state.  The professional development of the ISF is critical for Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence and security.