Opposition: Sehnaoui Responsible for Protecting Assassins by Blocking Telecom Data
The March 14-led opposition held Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui and those who support him responsible for preventing the security forces and authorities from obtaining the telecom data in their probe into assassination attempts.
A senior security official told al-Joumhouria newspaper that acquiring the telecom data for one day isn’t sufficient as the competent security authorities need to frequently analyze and follow up the data in their investigations.
The issue emerged to the surface again after Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea escaped an “assassination attempt” on Wednesday.
Security forces extracted two sniper bullets, ranging between 12.7 and 14.5mm, from a wall at his house in Maarab.
Geagea said that the security of the Maarab compound was not breached and that the attacker had carried out the attack from a distance of up to four kilometers using very advanced equipment.
The security official told al-Joumhouria that Geagea’s assassination bid was planned a while ago, saying: “If the telecom data wasn’t blocked, the competent security authorities could’ve at least revealed parts of the plan and took preventive measures.”
The data dispute had stirred political controversy over the legality of providing the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch with the telecommunications records.
An opposition political figure lashed out at Sehnaoui, stating that his measures are protecting organized crime and making it easy for criminals to plan their assassination attempts.
According to al-Joumhouria, a senior western diplomat warned former defense minister Elias Murr, MPs Marwan Hamadeh and Sami Gemayel, ex-Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and Geagea from assassination bids.
The diplomat advised them to take precautions.
12 years
yeah, sehanaoui is just executing the orders of his master's master, hizbushaitan.
if he gives the data, assassination plot will lead to hizbushaitan members :)
12 years
Geha did you even read the comment b4 posting this?
12 years
anyone defending sehnaoui for not providing the data on tim is as criminal as he is.
12 years
and to punish him he should recite 10 Abana, 10 salam and 10 Allah baddo mar charbel w mar charbel baddo el hakim
12 years
such lame excuses not to provide the data hiding behind civil liberties, while there is a major attempt to assassinate a leader.
anyway the status quo has been broken, and the green light has been given fr self defense.
12 years
Flame yes the ISF can request the data albeit after the fact. what the article implies however is that prevention is better than the cure and given the instability in lebanon this request is more than warranted. You people will always think of an excuse that justifies the stand of your masters, this smells of a cover up if ISF had access to this they may just uncover dealings that surley do not take place in Lebanon :)
12 years
Slash, you so sound like the Iranian regime you hate so much :P
12 years
the same mafia.. and sehnawi is just an office boy,believe me they will definitly anderstand when they will see the stick coming. the main thing is: hakeem is alive and very well and the other guy is still in the basement after 7 years of "victory".
12 years
I read the comments on every article in this website and all I see is how split the Lebanese people are; M14 and M8. We have such a beautiful country and all we can do is argue on politics and religion? Why do we ally ourselves with Israel and Syria? Why do we ally ourselves with Iran and America? WE NEED TO BE UNITED TOGETHER, AS ONE PEOPLE! WE ARE NOT CHRISTIANS! WE ARE NOT MUSLIMS! WE ARE SHAAB LEBNANY! TOGETHER AS ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION!!!!!!
12 years
You hear that James? Slash doesn't believe in a united Lebanon. So how would you solve a problem like that?
12 years
So the Assassination attempts are back. M8 blames these attempts on Israeli intelligence. If that is true, then why all Political Assassinations have stopped right after the DOHA accord? Was Israel part of the agreement? Did Israel abide by the agreement? Any fool would believe that Israel was and still behind the assassination. Why would Israel make M14 weaker and make Hizboterrorist stronger? The DOHA accord guaranteed a government where M14 will be weaker and later got rid of M14 altogether by Terrorizing M14 with M8 Weapons. It is simply not in the interest of Israel to do so. So for all of you M8 supporters out there, wake up and ask yourself how did the assassinations magically stopped after the Doha accord? Surely it is after M8 got what they wanted. But it seems that they are not satisfied with what they have. They want to make sure that M14 is no more and that the Baathist thugs will return to Lebanon with a Vengeance.
12 years
spot on Edy, the real problem however is not who commits the crimes, this is clear as daylight.. the real problem in lebanon is that the Lebnaniye are too shallow to have their own opinions if those opinions contradict their za3ims one. They will follow these morons into a fire and die right after them if this makes them look the better party. The pride and vanity not to mention egotistical mindset of lebanese is the real enemy, I think we change this the rest will follow, until then my friend I will keep typing away at this keyboard.
12 years
James. I totally agree with you. But it is unfortunate that your wish will never materialize as long as we have weapons that protects Corruption, causes political assassinations and slowly but surely destroy what is left of Lebanese attempt to strengthen Democracy. We still have the problems of Arms with Palestinians in Lebanon. They came as refugees, but they abused their stay in Lebanon and caused Israel to invade Lebanon as well as being a catalyst for the Civil war. Why do they need arms? No body cares about Palestine anymore if its liberation is going to be on the expense of the existence of Lebanon. You also have Hezbollah that has members whose only mission is to serve the Khumeinies of Iran. And lets not forget that you have a neighbor who will never recognize Lebanon as an independent country, and that they will do all they can to destroy it or be part of Syria. So please tell us how can we be a one happy family in these conditions?
12 years
How is this so when all the assassins are among this opposition, unless you do not count Jumblat and his thugs?
12 years
all assasins? Hepto i think you have dropped your peanut for a brain, careful not to step on it. Jumblat was m8 at one time or was it 2 times? lost count.., I think this arguement is irrevant. but thanks for illustrating how narrow minded people argu a point not the issue, at this rate we will get a lot solved in lebanon..NOT
12 years
eleven years of jail didnt break hakeem loubnan and bullets will "ric hochet" for sure
12 years
sure.. I am sitting my muslim brotherhood examinations now so i can get into the place after he is overthrown.Something tells me its better the devil you know all things aside.
12 years
to Mowaten: i'd much rather be under the surveilance of the ISF, i.e the lebanese government, than hizbustan, i.e an ex-resistance and currently a terrorist organization.
12 years
Are you so stupid to believe that Hezbollah has control of the communication network? I have lost hope for you people.
12 years
It is realy ridiculous to see lebanese officials restricting telecom data to the official lebanese security forces when hezbollah has his own uncontrolled telecom all over lebanon
12 years
the house of geagea was encircled by a killing squad? Sorry, Lebanese people, but isn't this exactly what geagea did in Zghorta 35 yrs ago, killing (for real, not in fiction) hundreds of people, including unarmed civilians? And how is it possible that nobody spotted those cars and people in such area? How can such amateurish snipers spy on him for weeks just exist without being identified in a matter of minutes? They were spying from the wood, for weeks?
a special committee was created during the saad Harriri era, to tackle such issues, Sehnaoui is not responsible anymore let them go and fish there