Cabinet Agrees to Limit Telecom Data Geographically during Heated Session
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The cabinet agreed on Monday to hand over the so-called telecom data to security agencies but only within a limited geographic location and after the approval of a three-member expert judicial committee.
The deal was reached after a heated debate between the March 8 coalition ministers of the Change and Reform bloc, Hizbullah and Amal, and the government’s centrists - President Michel Suleiman, Premier Najib Miqati and ministers loyal to Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat.
While the March 8 ministers did not reject to hand the security apparatuses the data, they conditioned the move to law 140 pertaining to wiretapping, which was issued in 1999.
They also rejected to give the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) except for certain areas as called for by the law.
Furthermore, the cabinet formed a committee headed by Miqati to look into the demands of the security bodies.
Monday’s decision was aimed at shrugging off criticism by the March 14 coalition that the failure to provide the data is tantamount to participation in any crime or assassination attempt against Lebanese officials.
The attempted murder of March 14 MP Butros Harb last week sparked new demands to reveal the data to the agencies investigating the plot to avoid similar plans in the future.
During the session, Suleiman told the ministers that it was important to provide security bodies with the necessary data to ward off suspicion.
If any assassination plot succeeds, then withholding the data would be seen as a reason for the crime’s success, media reports quoted the president as saying.
Miqati agreed with Suleiman, saying the government should not be held responsible for the death of any Lebanese.
Ministers Ghazi Aridi and Wael Abou Faour, who are loyal to centrist Jumblat, also defended the right of security apparatuses to review the telecom data.
“The (ISF) Intelligence Branch has been able to reveal spy networks, spies, crimes, robberies and bombings due to the data,” Aridi said.
But Telecom Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui, who is from the Change and Reform bloc, snapped back, saying he has met with officials from the army and general security and coordinated with them.
Abou Faour cut his sentence short by saying: “You are a member of the cabinet and should treat all security agencies equally.”
However, the dispute was resolved after agreement was reached to appease both sides.
10 July 2012, 12:21
31
mowaten = traitor
anyone covering up and hiding information from security agencies is accessory to the murdor attempt.
all this to cover up for what your hizbushaitan thugs are doing, murdors, kidnappings, stealing, narcotics,.....
what a bunch of loosers!
all the lebanese people know it is you guys doing this, and we thank you for covering it up as you made it easier to know the murderors with no doubt.
and they ask why an international criminal court!
10 July 2012, 12:28
32
furthermore, in the case you are talking about: the military justice is clearly from your side and executing what you want, this is why they did not try him for treason while he openly admitted transmitting info.
a detailed letter from him to his son was clear enough if not what he admitted. but definately your judges wanted to free him just like they freed the shia officer who executed the sheikh in akkar to silence him at the orders of his mastrs hizbushaitan.
what a bunch of traitors you are.....
10 July 2012, 12:32
32
traitor mowaten:
no the data given is not enough as once the chips are destroyed and new ones issued, the data is deleted immediately so without the imsi they are useless and you know that.
anyway with all these issues aboout the data, it is clear who the perpetraitors are for all lebanese: hizbushaitan of which you are the faithfull member.
all of you traitors will ultimately be hanged or will flee to iran and that is going to be sooner than later.
you are up for a major surprise soon.
10 July 2012, 14:36
00
Dear mowaten, I believe u meant still water, since water don't sleep. U have weapons including thousands of rockets, yet, u claim to be citizens below the law not above it. Hence, each and every Lebanese has the right to have weapons, icluding rockets; isn't this equality? U didn't like the cabinet's decisions regarding ur weapons, you attacked (on May 7). Well, I don't like the cabinet's decision regarding the telecom data reliese, don't I have the right to attack? Aren't we supposed to be equal in front of the law? But, alas, I don't have weapons, well, at least I don't have organized and backed weaponry. In the name of resistance u created this paramilitary party. Well, in the name of self preservation I totally support a paramilitary party for me. Oh, then we'll have a juicy civil war. In that case, how would u be able to protect ur rockets? I reckon by using them inwards. Good luck with ur resistance my friend.
10 July 2012, 15:27
00
Wonderful, commit an assassination, a murder, a robbery or a mugging then disappear into the Resistance's divine geographic location and you're home free. Then do the Ashura dance!
10 July 2012, 17:23
01
The argument that a few are using of "Big Brother" is bogus--the bottom line is that the groups who are more likely to commit crimes ie. ,Amal/Hizb are the people that are going to be the most opposed to it. Police in countries in the west as well as more autocratic nations like Syria, Iran, Russia and China have access to this information. Why are these guys opposed to it again?
Next thing to be don is to start putting TV cameras around town to catch more of these same thugs so they can't keep getting away with what they are doing now.
10 July 2012, 18:48
00
Why should telecom data be limited especially if it contains geographical information? Investigations need all the information they can get, in order to come up with a solution in the court, especially if it relates to another politician.
