Rifi hands over ISF position to Salem

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rifi salem ISF handoverLebanon’s Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi handed over on Saturday the ISF leadership to Brig. Gen. Roger Salem at the graduation ceremony of expert officers at the ISF general-directorate in Ashrafiyeh.

Rifi , who reaches the retirement age of 59 on Monday April 1 , said that he was leaving his post with a clear conscience and proud of ISF achievements.

“My conscience is clear,” Rifi said seven days after Prime Minister Najib Mikati resigned over the rejection of the Hezbollah-led March 8 majority alliance to extend his term.

Salem will serve as acting head of the ISF until a new director-general is appointed.

The Future Movement bloc has proposed a draft-law that allows both Rifi and Army chief Gen. Jean Kahwaji to stay in their posts until they reach respectively the age of 62 and 63.

Rifi, who took charge of the department in 2005 , two days after the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon cited several achievements made by the ISF during his term and said he is proud of ISF achievements :

“we are proud of our achievements.” He said

Rifi praised the late ISF Intelligence Bureau chief Wissam al-Hassan and Wissam Eid, a top communications analyst with the bureau.

Both were assassinated and Hezbollah and Syria was accused of being behind their murder.

Rifi said he hopes and prays that Hassan’s murder will be the last assassination in Lebanon.

He said he has known Brig. Salem for 40 years and is absolutely sure the ISF will be in secure hands.

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12 responses to “Rifi hands over ISF position to Salem”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Nothing wrong with experienced people becoming ‘advisors’ in retirement, if they wish to and are asked.

    1. kamille1 Avatar

      you are exactly right..the problem is, we don’t know how to just move on..

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Nothing wrong with experienced people becoming ‘advisors’ in retirement, if they wish to and are asked.

    1. kamille1 Avatar

      you are exactly right..the problem is, we don’t know how to just move on..

  3. Patience2 Avatar
    Patience2

    Get rid of the hezbians (and back to the stone-age with Iran), and maybe the above mentioned ‘will be the last assassination(s) in Lebanon.’

    1. you think? do you really believe that will solve everything? in syria the rebels just killed a sunni sheikh cut off his head and stuck it on a minerot outside a mosque after dragging his body around to parade it….and meanwhile the taliban is opening up an office in qatar? im sorry but i dont believe this guy has done his job in protecting our leaders…as head of the internal security forces i believe a blind eye has been turned to alot of things and the protection that should have been afforded those assasinated was not there…dont be surprised if they try and bring him in as next pm????

      1. Prophettttt Avatar
        Prophettttt

        dateam, Good point,It will be no surprise at all….Why do you think both Hariri and Mikati wanted to extend Rifi’s term beyond retirement ? Keep him occupied at the ISF for few more years.They both know that Rifi is on the list of potential Premiers.More pictures of Rifi in Tripoli than portrait of Mikati and Hariri. The speech He gave at Al-Hassan’s funeral was a remarkable one,if you remember.

        1. no sorry i missed that but i do recall when ziad baroud resigned saying “the lebanese internal security services belong to all the lebanese”

  4. Patience2 Avatar
    Patience2

    Get rid of the hezbians (and back to the stone-age with Iran), and maybe the above mentioned ‘will be the last assassination(s) in Lebanon.’

    1. you think? do you really believe that will solve everything? in syria the rebels just killed a sunni sheikh cut off his head and stuck it on a minerot outside a mosque after dragging his body around to parade it….and meanwhile the taliban is opening up an office in qatar? im sorry but i dont believe this guy has done his job in protecting our leaders…as head of the internal security forces i believe a blind eye has been turned to alot of things and the protection that should have been afforded those assasinated was not there…dont be surprised if they try and bring him in as next pm????

      1. Prophettttt Avatar
        Prophettttt

        dateam, Good point,It will be no surprise at all….Why do you think both Hariri and Mikati wanted to extend Rifi’s term beyond retirement ? Keep him occupied at the ISF for few more years.They both know that Rifi is on the list of potential Premiers.More pictures of Rifi in Tripoli than portrait of Mikati and Hariri. The speech He gave at Al-Hassan’s funeral was a remarkable one,if you remember.

        1. no sorry i missed that but i do recall when ziad baroud resigned saying “the lebanese internal security services belong to all the lebanese”

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