This is what the Supreme Defense Council in Baabda decided

The Supreme Defense Council decided, in a session held this afternoon at the Baabda Palace, chaired by President Michel Aoun, to intensify monitoring, prosecution and tighten and implement sanctions against offenders, smugglers and partners, and make all efforts in coordination between the agencies involved to control the borders to avoid the smuggling of goods and materials and the closure of all crossings that are not Legitimacy. It also decided to design a comprehensive plan to establish military, security, and customs control centers.

President Aoun had met before the council meeting, Prime Minister Dr. Hassan Diab, and discussed with him the latest developments on the local scene at the levels of health, economy and security, and the issue of border control and crosses.

The meeting was attended by: President Diab, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defense, Zeina Akkar, the Ministers: Foreigners and Expats, Nassif Hatti, the Interior and the Municipalities Mohamed Fahmy, the economy and commerce Raoul Neama, the judge Mary Claude Negm and energy and water Raymond Ghajar. Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, Director General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, Director General of Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad Othman, Director General of State Security, General General Tony Saliba, the secretary general of the Supreme Council for Defense, General General Mahmoud Al Asmar, the Attorney General of Cassation, Judge Ghassan Oweidat, also attended. Judge Peter Germanos, Government Commissioner before the Military Court, President of the Supreme Customs Council, Brigadier Asaad Tufaili, Director General of Customs Badri Daher, Director of Intelligence in the Army, Brigadier General Antoine Mansour, Director of Information in the General Directorate of General Security, Brigadier-General Granting Sawaya, Chief of the Internal Security Information Section of the Med Khaled Hammoud, Deputy Director General of the State Security Brigadier Samir Sinan. Also present were the Director General of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and the Military and Security Advisor to the President of the Republic, Brigadier Paul Matar.

After the meeting, the Secretary General of Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar read the following statement: “At the invitation of HE. Mr. Michel Aoun, the Supreme Defense Council held a meeting at 3:30 p.m. Today, Wednesday May 13, 2020 at the Republican Palace, to follow the issue of land border crossings. Illegitimate, attended by the Prime Minister, the ministers of: national defense, foreign affairs, expatriates, interior and municipalities, economy and trade, energy and water and justice. The meeting was also attended by: the army commander, the Attorney General for Discrimination, the Director General of the Presidency of the Republic, the Director General of Security Director General General of the Internal Security Forces, Director General of State Security, Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council, President of the Supreme Council of Customs and Director General of Customs and Security and Military Advisor to His Excellency the President, Government Commissioner at the Military Court, Director of Military Intelligence, Director of Information in the General Directorate of Public Security, head of an Information branch in the Internal Security Forces, Deputy Director General of State Security.

His Excellency the President began the meeting by presenting the reality of illegal border crossings in the countryside and the legal terms and scope of the reflection of the smuggling of goods and materials in public finances, as he asked the President not to tolerate this problem, and He highlighted the need to take maximum measures against violators, and stressed the importance of determining the quantities of consumables consumed throughout the country as a necessary means to control the smuggling of materials and goods.

Then, the Prime Minister presented the financial and economic repercussions, especially on the treasury revenue, and the President’s country also discussed the logistical obstacles that prevent the control of land borders.

After the army commander presented the field reality of land borders, especially the status of illegal crossings in all respects, the ministers and competent leaders of the military, security and customs agencies discussed the problems and difficulties that prevent border control, and it was decided to intensify monitoring and prosecution and tighten sanctions and implement them against offenders, smugglers and partners, In accordance with applicable laws, the procedure will be carried out with all necessary efforts in coordination between the authorities concerned to control borders to prevent the smuggling of goods and materials and the closure of all illegal crossings.

Finally, it was decided to design a comprehensive plan to establish military, security and customs control centers, and the council kept its decisions secret in the implementation of the law.