Wednesday 25 Mar 2015 - 14:03 Makkah mean time-5-6-1436
Lebanese Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk (Google image)
Washington, (IINA) - Lebanese Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk discussed Lebanon’s security problems with the director of the FBI and other American officials on Monday in a bid to secure U.S. support for Lebanese security forces, media sources reported.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Machnouk said he met with James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other American officials.
The U.S. is willing to offer Lebanon "technical assistance needed by the security forces in the fight against terrorism,” Comey reportedly told Machnouk, according to the statement.
Machnouk later met with Congressman Darrell Issa, a Republican from California of Lebanese origin.
He also met with a group of lobbyists of Lebanese origin who say they push for pro-Lebanese policies in Congress, according to the statement.
That meeting, which was attended by Antoine Chedid, Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, focused on the Interior Ministry’s counterterrorism efforts and plans to address the presence of Syrian refugees.
The delegation responded by vowing to coordinate with American officials over the delivery of aid and technical assistance to Lebanon’s security forces.
U.S. is ready to provide Lebanese security services with equipment and training to help them fight terrorism, Machnouk said after holding talks with CIA director John O. Brennan.
Also on the second day of his visit to Washington, Machnouk held talks at the State Department with Anne C. Richard, the assistant secretary of state for population, refugees and migration.
For their part, the U.S. officials expressed their support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.
SM/IINA
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