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Lebanon in shock after ex-general's arrest on spy charges
[Al Arabiya Latest] This week's arrest of a well-respected retired general and politician allied with Hezbollah on suspicion of spying for Israel has sent shock waves through Lebanon and left many wondering how deep the Jewish state has infiltrated the country.Fayez Karam, a member of the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), is the first political figure to be arrested in Lebanon as part of a wide-ranging probe launched in 2009 into Israeli spy networks. A well-informed source close to the investigation said that after his detention last Monday on the orders of the prosecutor general, Karam confessed to spying for Israel. "You don't arrest someone like him without rock-solid proof and there was enough evidence against him," the source, who requested anonymity, said. "He may not have given the Israelis much technical information, but his arrest has a huge political impact because of his position and rank," he added. He said Karam, 62, who stood in parliamentary elections last year, allegedly used cell phones with roaming numbers from European countries to contact his Israeli handlers. He reportedly met them in Paris, where he travelled regularly, and was nabbed because of an unspecified mistake. Ironically, in the 1980s Karam headed the Lebanese army's anti-terrorism and counter-espionage unit where he worked closely with FPM leader Michel Aoun, who was army chief at the time and who also served as interim prime minister. Posted by: Fred 2010-08-08 |
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