Lebanese Cabinet removes airport security chief over alleged ties to Hizbullah

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Lebanon's Cabinet decided Tuesday to remove Beirut airport's security chief over alleged ties to Hizbullah, the country's information minister said. The decision is expected to exacerbate tension between the Western-backed government and the Hizbullah -led opposition, putting them on a collision course a day before a scheduled labor union strike supported by the opposition. Information Minister Ghazi Aridi read a statement at the end of a marathon Cabinet meeting that began Monday evening and lasted nearly 11 hours, saying Brig. Gen. Wafiq Shoukair would rejoin the army. He also said the Cabinet declared a telecommunications network used by Hizbullah for military purposes was illegal and a danger to state security. The Cabinet decisions come a day after Lebanon's top prosecutor began investigating allegations that the Iran and Syria-backed group set up cameras near the airport to monitor the movement of anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians and foreign dignitaries.