Akouri Hosts USA Welcome Reception for Lebanese Internal Security Forces

(REDFORD, MI/USA)...Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce Officials joined President John Akouri in welcoming a formal delegation from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) at a luncheon generously offered by The Hallis Family of Beirut Bakery and prepared by Executive Chef Catherine. Lebanese Chamber Special Guests included V. Rev. Father Hanna Tayar of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church, Imam Mohamad Mardini of the American Muslim Center, Michigan District Court Officer/Bailiff Gregory J. Saffady, in addition to Fadi Achour, Abe Karam, and Milad Zohrob. The ISF delegation was invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program: LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE U.S. A Project for Lebanon, arranged by the Office of International Visitors - Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The ISF is a national police force that undertakes the mission of general protection of the citizenry by apprehending criminals and preventing criminal activity. ISF’s duties include traffic control and traffic crimes oversight, security of official buildings, riot and crowd control, crime scene investigation and enforcement of drug and financial laws. The ISF Visitor Program offers Lebanese police trainees a unique opportunity to observe police training methods in the United States. In addition to meeting with law enforcement officers and partaking in police ride-a-longs, the participants will gain insight through observing the following: Diverse law enforcement training programs, including drug law enforcement; Police headquarters and stations with a focus on operations and communications centers; Forensics labs and crime scene units; SWAT and other special operations programs; Checkpoint operations, such as for DWIs; and American society and culture. The delegation arrived at Beirut Bakery following a visit to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn upon completion of training with the Michigan State Police in Lansing. The delegation dined on a traditional Mediterranean brunch and whose members included: Cadet Hassan Chouman, Internal Security Forces, Aspirant Bilal EL Assaad, Judicial police, Internal Security Forces, Adjutant Bachar EL Chakra, Community Policing, Internal Security Forces, Lt. Ali Hammoud, Internal Security Forces, Major Fawaz Mahfoud, Community policing, Internal Security Forces, Cadet Abbas Mansour, Mobile Forces, Internal Security Forces, Cadet Hussein Mansour, Internal Security Forces, Lt. Toufic Nasr, Roumiyeh prison, Internal Security Forces, Cadet Bachir Yaghi, Traffic Jounieh, Internal Security Forces, and Cadet Mohamad Zeinab, Mobile forces, Internal Security Forces. Akouri boarded the transport vehicle to present the delegation of law enforcement officials with a special token of their visit to take back with them to Lebanon.