Lebanese minister extends term of security chief, sparking row

By Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's interior minister extended the term of the head of the internal security forces on Thursday without securing cross-party agreement, avoiding a vacuum at the top of a major security agency but triggering a political row. Government in Lebanon has been largely paralysed by the repercussions of the war in Syria. Lebanon's fractious politicians have been unable to make any major decisions, including important appointments in security agencies. These include who will head the armed forces when General Jean Kahwaji's term expires in September. In the absence of an agreement, Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk decided to extend Major General Ibrahim Basbous's term as head of the Internal Security Forces for two years. His term was due to expire on Thursday evening. "I signed the extension of the director general because we don't have the ability to appoint a (new one), which requires political consensus. When we are able to make an appointment the extension will naturally be annulled," Machnouk told Reuters. "I cannot confront the problems in the country without a coherent Internal Security Force," he said. Machnouk is part of the Future Movement led by Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri, a former prime minister who is backed by Saudi Arabia. Hariri has supported opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The Future Movement and its allies are sharing power in government with rival groups including Shi'ite Islamist Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and has sent fighters to Syria to bolster Assad during the four-year Syrian conflict. The government, formed last year with Iranian-Saudi blessing, has struggled to take even the most basic decisions but its existence has avoided a complete vacuum in the executive arm. The presidency fell vacant last year when Michel Suleiman's term expired without any agreement on who should replace him. Christian politician Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, wants a deal over security appointments that results in the head of Lebanese army special forces, Brigadier-General Shamel Roukoz becoming the next army commander. Roukoz is Aoun's son-in-law. Gebran Bassil, the foreign minister and another of Aoun's son-in-laws, rejected Machnouk's decision. "We completely reject any decision from the cabinet before the matter of the security appointments is resolved," he said in a televised news conference. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Dominic Evans)