Many residents in Beirut today are questioning the efficiency of the latest surge in security measures across the city, claiming that while there has been a very public display of force, little is being done by the authorities to build trust with residents.

Armed men in uniform are reinforcing positions on street corners from Dahiyeh to Burj Hammoud with cement-filled barrels - often adorned with the slogans and flags of the local political leaders, including but not limited to Hezbollah, Amal, the Future Movement, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, as well as a variety of other local religious leaders - linked with chains or yellow ribbons bearing the signature of the Internal Security Forces (ISF). Oversized SUVs with black tinted windows blasting sirens while driving full speed on the narrow, traffic-jammed streets are now a daily occurrence, and random searches of citizens of a specific profile (whatever look seems to bother the patrolling officer in question) have increased significantly. [Link]