Information Branch
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| Intelligence Agency overview | |
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| Formed | August 6, 1993 |
| Headquarters | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Employees | Classified |
| Annual budget | Classified |
| Intelligence Agency executive |
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The Information Branch, also the Information Department (Template:Lang-ar, commonly known as āl-maʿlumāt "The Information"), is the Lebanese Internal Security Forces Directorate's intelligence bureau founded on August 6, 1993 under decree No. 3904. Its main tasks include gathering national and military intelligence, criminal investigation,[1] espionage, counterintelligence, and counter-terrorism. Acting as a counterweight to the Lebanese Armed Forces's intelligence unit that is considered to have close links to Syria, the newly-formed security apparatus was largely trained and supplied by the United States, EU states, and some Arab intelligence services.[2] It is considered one of the strongest and most advanced security and intelligence agencies in the Middle East,[3] and its members have been subject of repeated assassinations and assassination attempts.
See also
- Internal Security Forces
- General Directorate of General Security
- Lebanese State Security
- Lebanese Armed Forces
- October 2012 Beirut bombing
- Lebanese–Syrian Security Apparatus