Lebanese Telephone Bugging Center Due to Open Shortly

A new phone monitoring station is nearing completion in Lebanon and will be capable of recording up to 72,000 calls every day. The facility, due to open at the end of the month was toured by caretaker Telecommunications Minister Gebran Bassil last week.

The facility will be staffed by Internal Security Forces and army personnel.

"I think there's greater awareness by those involved in the work of this center," he told the Daily Star newspaper, promising that eavesdropping on people's telephone calls would only take place after the proper administrative and legal measures were followed.

The center is under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry, but the Telecommunications and Justice Ministries are intimately connected with its work, Bassil said.

At the same time, the government is stepping up measures to find illegal telecommunications networks following the closure of a telecommunication station in Barouk, Chouf. There had been allegations that the station had been tapped by neighbouring countries.

On the web: Daily Star

Posted to the site on 16th August 2009