Report: Lebanese Detained in Saudi Kingpin of Alleged Iranian Spy Cell
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
A Lebanese businessman, who is suspected by Saudi authorities of espionage for a foreign country, is reported to be the key player in spy cell that was unveiled by Saudi in March.
Sources said in comments published in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat on Thursday that the Lebanese suspect, a Shiite, is the most “dangerous” detainee in the network.
The man is reported to hold a European nationality, which the sources refused to reveal.
On March 19, the interior ministry in Riyadh said authorities had arrested 16 Saudis, an Iranian and a Lebanese citizen in four regions including Eastern Province.
The sources said that the Lebanese man was in charge of the financial transactions of the network.
“The Lebanese man paid clients after they presented him with the necessary espionage information,” they added.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel had said last month that Saudi authorities are carrying out “secret” interrogations with a Lebanese businessman.
He pointed out that the Lebanese state has “confidence” in Saudi authorities and awaiting clarifications.
Concerning the Iranian suspect, the sources pointed out that he is a PhD student at the Islamic University of al-Madinah al-Munawarah.
The Iranian suspect, in his later thirties, is also said to be a media figure for a private satellite religious channel.
Saudi Arabia said the alleged spy cell had "direct links" to Iran's intelligence services, while Iran's foreign ministry has strongly denounced the accusations.
The Saudi charge d'affaires was summoned after "the publication of the baseless claim by Saudi Arabia," the Mehr news agency reported, citing a foreign ministry statement.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab monarchies have strained ties with Iran over what they call Tehran's interference in their internal affairs and its continuing support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The Gulf Cooperation Council accuse Iran of supporting Shiite opposition protests in GCC member Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia's estimated two million Shiites, who frequently complain of marginalization, live mostly in the east where the vast majority of the OPEC kingpin's huge oil reserves lie.
04 April 2013, 09:23
48
Iran again behaving like it the CIA, go feed your starving people before you mount foreign operations
04 April 2013, 11:19
47
filthy hizbushaitan.
their actions are harming all the Lebanese people and our economy.
04 April 2013, 12:32
25
these are not Lebanese citizens: they are Iranian traitors.
put that in your head.
04 April 2013, 13:02
44
the disgusting and miserable are your militiamen under the Iranian orders.
they are putting Lebanon and the Lebanese people at odds with all the world through their terrorist acts while posing as Lebanese.
not a single true Lebanese supports these traitors and if you do then....
04 April 2013, 14:03
52
I agree with you Geha...most of what you say is actually reasonable and well thought.
But I am finding it hard to disagree with mowaten as his logic and statements hold ground as well? How can one disagree despite the fact that the saudi system is crap?
i guess Lebanese Shia'a should stop hiding behind their fingers and openly claim that they represent Persian interest. After all, Sunnis have been prosecuting them for 600 years so they have a good reason to consolidate their efforts.
Me? a mere spectator of the Great Sunni-Shiaa Schism with help from no one
04 April 2013, 14:45
33
the only sectarian one is you Mowaten and you are despised by most on this site :)
do you intend to say hizbushaitan operatives have not been accused of any terrorist activities outside Lebanon? do you forget just the latest? (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bahrain, KSA,....)
where do you see in my comment sectarian talk? it is just in your twisted and empty mind because you associate hizbushaitan with shia...
as for the so called Christian: I am a Christian :) I am not a sunni, but that does not mean I do not see terrorism when there is terrorism.
hizbushaitan is currently terrorizing all Lebanese with their weapons.
04 April 2013, 16:06
32
Actually, it is based on the fact it is an Iranian cell that I assimilated him with hizbushaitan :)
your sectarian plays will not work :)
04 April 2013, 16:06
32
Actually, it is based on the fact it is an Iranian cell that I assimilated him with hizbushaitan :)
your sectarian plays will not work :)
04 April 2013, 16:49
32
mowaten
shame on you defending the undefendable traitors to Lebanon.
hizbushaitan is an Iranian arm in Lebanon. they are not Lebanese.
as far as who is accusing: it is this time the Saudis, and before it was...... so please spare us your doubts that do not stand.
each time hizbushaitan operatives are caught red handed you start defending them, and meanwhile our economy and our people suffer. so go play in your corner.
04 April 2013, 17:37
32
obviously you need a crash course in patriotism to understand what it means to be a patriot.
an entity that takes its orders from a foreign country is not patriotic: it is a bunch of traitors especially when they constantly threaten the Lebanese people.
your comments show your true face and it is certainly not that of a Lebanese.and for brainwashed: that certainly applies to you for not being able to discern patriotism and what hizbushaitan (the traitors) are doing to our country, which is a complete disaster. what they are doing is worse that all the wars with Israel and the Syrian regime combined.
04 April 2013, 22:54
20
Mowaten, you know nothing of the case either but are coming the to the defense of the accused. It seems that you are always giving the benefit of the doubt to M8/Iranian supporters while slamming stances against M14 or their supporters/allies with the same burden of proof.
If you want to at least seem impartial, it may behoove you to apply standards equally instead of putting yourself in that cage. Just some friendly advice....
04 April 2013, 12:40
23
Dont worry geha .Iran being a hungry country I'm sure they have lots to offer ,dates ,rugs etc..
04 April 2013, 13:14
31
Mowaten no one has the right to arrest or torture or citizens,please answer my question ,why is a Lebanese person spying for Iran in Saudi Arabia.
04 April 2013, 13:43
12
There is also a Lebanese person in Saudi Arabia on death row accused of witchcraft, So is that also your justice, are you asking also why is there a Lebanese person doing witchcraft in Saudi Arabia, furthermore, do you believe that the accused is a wizard since people like you seem to express a certain weight of divinity for anything that comes out of Al Sa3ouds mouth
04 April 2013, 14:59
32
This guy was not arrested alone. 14 Saudis and an Iranian. Do u think that Saudis woke up one day and said let's arrest a chiite Lebanese business man. As to your above postings about chiite weapons there are documented cars of Iranian weapons being sent to Yemen and fighting between Shiite and government soldiers in Yemen. Those Shiite fighters are spilling over into Saudi Arabia.
04 April 2013, 16:02
11
As if any spy ring would consist of people from 3 different naionalities.
