Report: Iran building communications system for Hizbullah
Lebanese Communications Minister Marwan Hamada accuses Iran of building communications network for Hizbullah with separate landlines across Lebanon; to allow tapping, protect Hizbullah from being tapped
“Iran is building a communications network for Hizbullah,” Lebanese Communications Minister Marwan Hamada accuses Iran Sunday.
In an interview with the London-based al-sharq al-Awsat newspaper, Hamada revealed that the Iranian organization aiding Hizbullah in restoring its infrastructures after the war is also building a communications network with separate landlines that span most of Lebanon and would enable Hizbullah to listen to any entity within Lebanon.
Minister Hamada also said that he intends to discuss the matter in the next government meeting, and that Lebanon may address the Arab League and the UN Security Council on the matter.
The newspaper features a map illustrating the new communications lines being constructed in the areas of Beirut, Lebanon valley, southern Lebanon and even areas with a Christian majority.
“Hizbullah’s communications map spans across Lebanon and is indicative of what Hizbullah country will eventually look like,” said Druze community leader Walid Jumblatt in a press conference.
Jumblatt added that “there are also lines connecting to Syria, and another line running through Kasarwan and Jabil, not to mention other information we are not privy to since Hezbullah country forbids us to acknowledge, control or determine our territories in Lebanon. All this for resistance’s sake.”
Hizbullah has been building a separate communications network for some time now, in order to prevent outside sources from tapping them. Hamada claims that this activity violates the Lebanese law, since it uses the country’s resources against the general interest.
When asked about his response to the Hizbullah claiming their communications network is build to protect their members from being tapped, Hamada said “they want to tie in to the Iranian and Syrian militias and tap them. The resistance’s security is a top priority, but we cannot jeopardize Lebanon and its citizens either.”
A month ago, reports said that the Iranians were building a wiretapping system for Syria.
