Lebanon unmasks nests of spies in favour of Israel

Several alleged espionage networks were dismantled, since the beginning of the year, in Lebanon. They are accused of being located for years in order to provide Israel with a data bank on Hezbollah,

•     Before the 2006 war between Israel and the Shiite movement, there were sleeping cells or networks with a limited margin for manoeuvre, says an official security services under the guise of anonymity.
  
      Since 2009, these spies have become more active and have left traces, which allowed us to unmask them, he says.
  
      At least 17 suspected agents are currently being held; the last four were arrested Friday in the southern region.
  
      The ‘master knock’ of the security services was the arrest in April of a former general in the General Security, Adib al-Alam, with his wife and nephew, who admitted that he worked for Israel for over 15 years.
  
      Since then, arrests have increased. The majority were Lebanese, working as car salesmen, butchers, or at a service station.
  
      In a country still technically at war with Israel, officials unmasked face life imprisonment with hard labour. If the judge believes that this collaboration has resulted in death, he may seek the death penalty.
  
      The security officials and experts stress that Israel is trying to build a database on Hezbollah to be better prepared in case of a new war.
  
      The Israelis have realized after 2006 that they did not have a bank of targets for bombings targeting, particularly in the southern suburbs of Beirut, stressed Randa Haidar, an expert on Israel in the daily Annahar (close to the anti-Syrian majority).
  
      The area called ‘security perimeter’ in this suburb where the main offices of Hezbollah were heavily bombed during the summer of 2006, without any leader of the movement being reached.
  
      Officials have recognized that Israel has the responsibility to gather information on the positions of the Lebanese army and Hezbollah and locate them on maps with absolute precision, says an Intelligence official of the army under cover of anonymity.
  
      Meanwhile, military expert Elias Hanna said that Israel wants to know where the leaders of Hezbollah, its missiles, its telecommunications network.
  
      But, he adds, spying Hezbollah is very difficult since it is a very secretive organization, with an underground network.
  
      It is an inhabitant of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, who may collect such information, continued the expert.
  
      The agents went to Israel for the most part through European countries. There, they were trained in the use of ultra sophisticated satellite telecommunications systems, says the head of the security services.
  
      These devices are easily introduced in Lebanon after being hidden.
      The system used by General Alam was hidden in a small refrigerator similar to those used in hotel rooms, while another officer had a special chip connected to his computer to transmit information, according to the expert.
  
      The bait is the only financial motivation for these people, he says.
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.