Beirut wants UN action on Israeli spying

In a unanimous vote, the Lebanese cabinet has decided to file an official complaint against Israel at the UN Security Council over the Israeli spy rings operating in the country.

The complaint will be about the extensive Israeli spy rings uncovered in Lebanon last year, a government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the German news agency dpa on Wednesday.

The cabinet decision came hours after a Lebanese military court sentenced former school principal Hassan Ahmed al-Hussein, 58, to death on charges of spying for the notorious Israeli intelligence agency Mossad.

The court convicted him of providing Israel with sensitive information in 2008 about the leadership of Hezbollah and the location of sites used by the resistance movement.

The Lebanese government said that they will file a formal complaint to the UN Security Council. It will focus on Israel’s alleged covert activities in Lebanon’s mobile telecom company Alfa.

Last week, Lebanon arrested a second employee of the company on suspicion of spying for Tel Aviv.

Lebanese media outlets say the country’s security forces are compiling a comprehensive report on the spy networks that have been uncovered.

Since April 2009, Lebanon has arrested dozens of people on espionage charges.