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http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=115025 US donates 20 Harley Davidson motorcycles to ISF By The Daily Star
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
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BEIRUT: United States Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison presented 20 Harley Davidson motorcycles to ISF Director General Ashraf Rifi at the ISF Mobile Forces headquarters in the Beirut suburb of Dbayeh on Tuesday.
A statement by the US Embassy said the motorcycles were “state-of-the-art police vehicles, identical to ones used by American law enforcement agencies, which will enable the ISF to perform its law enforcement, safety and traffic management functions.”
“The [vehicles] are outfitted with specialized police equipment including enhanced steering and braking capabilities and lights and sirens with mounted microphones and speakers,” the statement said.
“The ISF will deploy the motorcycles throughout Lebanon to assist ISF personnel in fulfilling their professional responsibilities of protecting Lebanese citizens and residents,” it added.
The delivery of the 20 motorcycles complements the fleet of police vehicles and other equipment donated to the ISF by the US, including 480 Dodge Chargers and 60 SUVs. In addition to the 20 new motorcycles, the US also provided spare parts and technical assistance to refurbish an additional 24 Harley Davidson motorcycles already in the ISF fleet. “The value of the project, including the new vehicles, parts and refurbishment, totals $498,000,” according to the embassy’s statement.
Sison said the donation was aimed at “filling a specific need for the ISF.”
“Today, we add another iconic American vehicle to the ISF arsenal … The capability that these Harley Davidson motorcycles will provide the ISF is something that the ISF officers who enforce the law in Lebanon have been asking for,” she said.
“These impressive and easily recognizable motorcycles will certainly assist the ISF in projecting its presence in the eyes of the Lebanese citizens, and if I might add – doing so with great style,” the ambassador added.
Since 2007, through agreement between the Lebanese government and the US State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL), the US Government has committed over $104 million for training and equipment to the ISF to strengthen and build its professional capacity. – The Daily Star