Tuesday, December 30, 2008

U.S. Ambassador Michele J. Sison Signs Agreement to Prevent Trafficking of Radioactive Material


December 30, 2008

Ambassador Michele J. Sison and General Assaad Ghanem, the General Director of Lebanese Customs, signed an agreement between the U. S. Government and Lebanese Customs to install specialized equipment at the Port of Beirut to detect illicit shipments of nuclear and other radioactive materials.

This agreement, part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Megaports Initiative, provides training on the equipment and detection of materials for Lebanese Customs staff members and other law enforcement officials.  The Megaports Initiative is currently operational in a number of countries around the world, including the Netherlands, Greece, Sri Lanka, Spain, Singapore, Bahamas, the Philippines, Belgium, Honduras, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom.

The technology and training will enable officials to stop illegal shipments of radioactive materials, guarding against nuclear proliferation. 

Ambassador Sison noted that "This agreement improves the security level for Lebanon's borders and particularly at the Port of Beirut."

This new partnership is another example of the U.S. Government's support for the Lebanese government's efforts to improve the security of Lebanon and the safety of the Lebanese people. 



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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

U.S. Government Trains Internal Security Forces

 
December 24, 2008
 
In October and December, the U.S. Government trained forty-eight detectives from the Internal Security Forces (ISF), primarily from the Judiciary Police, in "Crime Scene Investigation" in Quantico, Virginia.
This training course is part of the Anti-terrorism Assistance (ATA) program , which is part of the U.S. Government's overall assistance to Lebanon.
Since 2007, the U.S. has committed $2 million to ATA training and trained over 140 members of the ISF.  This amount is part of the over $1 billion the U.S. Government has committed to Lebanon since 2006.  The professional development of the ISF is critical for Lebanon's sovereignty and security.  The U.S. Government is committed to supporting Lebanon, the ISF and the Lebanese people. 
 
 http://lebanon.usembassy.gov/latest_embassy_news/press-releases08/pr122408.html
 
 


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