However, contrary to its counterparts, the role of this apparatus goes beyond security and military functions, for it also assumes administrative responsibilities by issuing Lebanese passports, visas and residence permits.

Establishment

The General Security was established during the year that followed the creation of the state of Greater Lebanon, pursuant to decision No. 1601 dated January 5, 1921. The General Security was initially known as the First Office and was transformed into a general security directorate within the Ministry of Interior pursuant to Decree No. 3845/k issued on August 27, 1945, which is considered the actual date of its establishment. The Beirut-based directorate may initiate branches across Lebanon. It falls directly under the Ministry of Interior and is headed by a director. The first appointed Director General was Edward Abou Jaoude.

Security Functions

The laws in force have granted the General Directorate of General Security powers in the security, media and administrative sectors such as:

• Gathering political, economic and social information for the government.
• Evaluating, analyzing and exploiting all the information in different domains.
• Participating in Judicial investigations within the limits of offenses committed against the internal or external security of the State.
• Monitoring the preparation and implementation of security measures.
• Fighting whatever endangers the security by the means of surveillance and prosecuting those who engage in sabotage, troublemakers and those who spread rumors that could jeopardize the security.
• Fighting dissolved parties and secret and banned associations.
• Preparing the notices and the prosecutions related to banning travel and entry to the country as well as looking for information on suspects.
• Participating in the surveillance of the territorial, maritime and aerial frontiers.
• Monitoring audiovisual broadcasting stations and movie recording videos.
• Preparing studies related to regulating the censorship on printed publications and recordings, as well as regulating censorship on press and media outlets.
• Providing the facilities required by foreigner parties concerning the delegations, missions, invitations and meetings for the Arab and foreign visitors.
• Keeping an eye on all that is related to foreigners including their entry to Lebanon, their stay and departure in addition to observing their movements and ensuring their safety.
• Preparing correspondence related to foreigners’ deportations and to security-related incidents.
• Following up on the affairs related to the stay of foreigners.
• Coordinating the relations with the foreign missions in Lebanon.
• Implementing all the duties of contacts and relations between the Arab and foreign embassies and diplomatic missions as well as the international and Arab organizations within the framework of trainings and educational sessions abroad.
• Controlling and facilitating the arrival and departure of foreign travelers.
• Escorting foreign statesmen arriving in Lebanon and ensuring their security during their visit on the Lebanese territories.
• Delivering transit passports.
• Delivering permanent and temporary residence permit cards.
• Organizing and delivering travel documents for the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon or arriving from abroad.
• Issuing entry visas.
• Supervising all the applications related to naturalization requests and personal status.
• Escorting the Lebanese statesmen.

Staff of the General Directorate of General Security

The vast range of functions demanded from the General Security and its increasing scope of work has entailed a significant expansion in its manpower, particularly in the past couple of decades. The number of staff increased from 289 in 1959 to 330 in 1961 and further to 650 in 1971. By 1974, the General Security was providing 2430 jobs, a number that soared to around 8001 by 2013.

Souce: Official website of the General Directorate of General Security

Source: Official website of the General Directorate of General Security

Directors General

15 Directors General have succeeded to the presidency of the General Security since 1948 as illustrated in Table 3. It has been generally accepted that the director general of this security apparatus should be a Maronite or belonging to any other Christian community. However, the norm changed in 1998 following the election of Emile Lahoud as President of the Republic and the post was handed to the Shia’a who in turn surrendered the State Security to the Catholics. The Maronite felt wronged by this compromise, which, according to them, disturbed the sectarian balance established in public administrations. Major General Jamil Sayyed became the first Shia’a to assume the post of Director General, while Prince Farid Chehab was branded as the longest serving Director General with approximately 10 years in office.

Source: Official website of the General Directorate of General Security