ISF, General Security, State Security and Army Intelligence: who does what?

Lebanon's security system is made up of several institutions, not one all-purpose intelligence service. Their legal mandates, chains of command and day-to-day responsibilities differ, even when public statements show them coordinating or handing cases from one authority to another.

The Internal Security Forces are Lebanon's nationwide police service. The ISF describes its core work as maintaining order, protecting people and property, enforcing laws, carrying out judicial-police duties and guarding certain public institutions, prisons and diplomatic missions. Its Judicial Police, Territorial Gendarmerie, Beirut Police and Mobile Gendarmerie cover different parts of that remit. The Information Branch appears frequently in ISF releases involving intelligence-led investigations and arrests.

General Security combines security and administrative responsibilities. Its official mandate includes collecting and analysing political, economic and social information for the government, participating in investigations concerning threats to internal or external state security, helping supervise security measures and borders, and managing major areas of immigration, residency, visas, passports and travel documents.

State Security describes itself as an arm of the Higher Defence Council created to protect the state against internal and external threats. Its public-facing material also stresses legality, human rights, confidentiality and accountability. The agency accepts information from the public through its official reporting channels.

The Lebanese Army is the national military institution. Its Intelligence Directorate is regularly named in official Army releases concerning security monitoring, counter-espionage, kidnapping cases, terrorism investigations and raids conducted under judicial supervision. Army engineering units also handle unexploded ordnance and other military hazards.

The boundaries are not absolute. A case may begin with the ISF, General Security, State Security or Army Intelligence and then move to another body or to the competent judiciary. Careful reporting should name the institution that issued the statement, distinguish an allegation from a court finding and avoid using 'Lebanese intelligence' as if it referred to one agency.