The Director-General of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, revealed his intention to file a lawsuit in the near future against those who spread what he described as "misleading rumors and lies" about him regarding the Beirut Port explosion case, especially since Judge Tarek Bitar took over the judicial investigation in this matter.
In a special interview with "Arabi21," he noted that there are specific parties (which he did not name) targeting him personally based on "certain political agendas," adding: "I have a lot of indications and evidence that confirm my personal targeting, and I reserve the right to respond legally to all these fabrications."
Ibrahim explained that he had refrained from taking legal action previously out of fear that such a move would be interpreted as an attempt to obstruct the investigation, stressing that "these repeated insults must have a limit, and we must confront them. We believe that the judiciary will reveal the hidden truths and debunk lies and rumors."
Information circulated on some social media platforms—most of which was attributed to the investigating judge in the Beirut Port explosion case, Judge Tarek Bitar—alleged General Ibrahim's involvement in ammonium smuggling deals and transferring funds to a bank in the UAE, claiming he opened an account there.
On August 4, 2020, a massive explosion occurred at the Beirut port, resulting in the death of more than 200 people and injuring about 6,000 others, in addition to significant material damage to residential buildings and commercial establishments. According to official estimates, the explosion occurred in warehouse number 12 at the port, which contained approximately 2,750 tons of highly explosive "ammonium nitrate," seized from a ship and stored since 2014.
Regarding the file of returning Syrian refugees in Lebanon to their country, General Ibrahim stated: "This is a national Arab international file, and their return to their homeland is a national duty that we must perform as soon as possible so that they do not lose their land and have their history erased."
He emphasized that "Arab indifference in addressing the Syrian file, the international decision rejecting the return of refugees to Syria, and the prolonged stay of Syrian families in Lebanon and their integration into host communities, are all factors that will lead to their remaining in Lebanon as a reality, and there is a fear of their resettlement later. This means we are witnessing the preparation of a bomb that will explode later in Lebanon, and only the Lebanese and Syrian peoples will pay the price for its repercussions and shrapnel."
He warned of the dangers of the continued presidential vacancy in Lebanon, saying: "The most dangerous aspect of the continued vacancy of the presidency is the internal inability to find solutions and exits, and the more dangerous aspect is looking outward and betting on a regional event that reflects internally and leads to a change in conditions and turning them upside down, despite everyone knowing the gravity of such a matter and its repercussions on Lebanon, regardless of the source and nature of this event."
General Ibrahim revealed that "external reassurances reach the level of a decision banning Lebanon from being taken into tensions and security chaos, and we are struggling with the impossible to prevent any transitory chaos from turning into security chaos."
He noted that "the presidential vacancy has increased the burdens on General Security, yet we are determined with strong will to navigate this phase by controlling the security situation in all its aspects, fortifying civil peace and stability, and elevating the logic of dialogue."
On Thursday, the Lebanese parliament failed for the seventh time to elect a president to succeed Michel Aoun, whose term ended on October 31. A new parliamentary session is scheduled for December 1 to elect the president. According to Article 49 of the constitution, the president of the country is elected in the first voting round by a two-thirds majority of 86 deputies, and a simple majority (half + 1) suffices in subsequent rounds.
