In Sidon , south Lebanon the army detonated a bomb that was found in the parking lot of Hijazi Center in Quds Square on Wednesday night. A citizen alerted the internal security forces of the suspected device he found around 11:00 pm. The parking lot lies near the building where Sheikh Maher Hammoud resides.

Sheikh Hammoud is the Imam of Al-Quds Mosque in Sidon. He is one of the founders of the Islamic Group in Sidon and the founder of the Association of Muslim Students in Sidon.

The army and security forces cordoned off the area and explosive experts arrived at the scene.

The bomb which weighed around 6 kg ( 13.2 Lbs) was wired to a cell phone primed to detonate the device, the army said in a statement on Thursday.

A-Joumhouria newspaper reported Thursday that the governor of the south called for a meeting of the Security Council branch at Sidon Serail to discuss the latest security situation.

MTV reported on Thursday no one had claimed responsibility for the incident but that “the Lebanese army arrested two people for planting the explosive device.

The report said that the two men work as concierges for buildings near the place where the device was planted.

MTV also reported that “members of Hezbollah arrived to the scene to investigate the matter.”

Also in the south and only few kilometers from Sidon , a private school, La Cite Nationale School, in the coastal town of Barja of Iqleem al Kharroub/ Shouf district was evacuated on Thursday after an SMS bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax.

Security forces searched the School after the principal said a secretary received an SMS warning about a bomb.

The school administration immediately evacuated the building after the threat, Principal Salah Abdul Samad told Voice of Lebanon

“We sent the students home,” he said.

However, a bomb disposal squad, backed by sniffer dogs, found no bomb.

Also south of Beirut two masked gunmen robbed Byblos Bank’s Shoueifat branch and fled, National News Agency reported Thursday.

NNA said the thieves were riding a silver-colored BMW X5 with tinted windows.

The vehicle’s license plate number is 18963 but has no (letter) code, the agency said.

It added that security forces have launched a manhunt for the suspects.

Update: The Lebanese intelligence branch of the Internal Security forces arrested Khalil Abdel Razzak , a Palestinian , accused of placing the bomb in Al Quds square in Sidon Wednesday night .

The bomb was discovered by an Egyptian worker

Charbel added that Lebanese political factions “are aware of the dangers posed against Lebanon ” adding that they are “making persistent efforts” to shield the county from any deterioration “in light of the critical situation” in the region.

“ Lebanon’s security forces are extremely keen to impose security and stability in an attempt to prevent any violations that might harm the citizen and [destabilize the country].”

His comments about the security in Lebanon come after embassies and diplomats have hinted that the wave of assassinations and bombings will return to Lebanon, fearing that the turmoil in the region will affect Lebanon, according to report by Nahar newspaper on Wednesday.

An Nahar quoted an official as saying that the assassinations and bombings rumors are not based on reliable information but on hints from embassies and diplomats.

He stressed to the daily that the statements made by Interior Minister Marwan Charbel in Paris were taken out of their context.

Charbel attended in October a security exhibition in Paris where he warned against a new wave of political assassinations in Lebanon due to information obtained by his ministry.

He said that the turmoil in the neighboring countries could spread to Lebanon.

The Lebanese Higher Defense Council (HDC) on Tuesday decided to tighten security across Lebanon and enforce stricter security measures in Beirut and the South.

The Council meeting was chaired by President Michel Suleiman and was attended by : PM Saad Hariri, Defense Minister Elias Murr, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, Finance Minister Raya al-Hasan, Foreign Minister Ali Shami, Economic Minister Mohammed Safadi and Secretar- General of the Council Maj. Gen. Adnan Merheb ( pictured) .

The internal security chiefs also attended the meeting which was held at the Presidential Palace in Baabda.

The Council addressed a plan to equip the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with suitable weapons and voiced the importance of security forces taking firm measures against any security shortcomings in Lebanon,.

The HDC members have reportedly greed to allocate specific security tasks to the relevant ministries and authorities.

This comes after a street battle that shook the Borj Abi Haidar neighborhood in the Lebanese capital on August 24, pitting supporters of the Iranian backed Hezbollah against the pro-Syrian Al-Ahbash militants —also known as the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects. 3 people were killed in the clash including a Hezbollah senior official

Airport Security:
Prime Minister Saad Hariri presented a complete vision to the ministers for overhauling airport security at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport.

The cabinet tasked the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation which is headed by Ghazi Aridi to prepare within 15 days a complete report on the steps needed to improve airport security and procedures.

This comes after the body of Firas Haider, a 20 year old Lebanese was found Saturday by Saudi maintenance workers on the landing gear of a Saudi jet aircraft .

Nas Air flight XY 720 took off from Beirut airport late Friday with 130 people on board and landed Saturday morning in the Saudi capital.

Lebanese-French security pact
Hariri said that the ministers agreed that the Lebanese-French security cooperation agreement is in Lebanon’s interest. The PM also questioned the nature of parliamentary discussions on the issue.

This comes after a joint parliamentary commissions meeting on Tuesday to discuss the security cooperation agreement failed to agree on the deal, which addresses bilateral cooperation on all security levels, including fighting terrorism. The issue of the draft security deal caused tension in the parliament when Hezbollah MPs walked out of the session and prevented a quorum.

The PM affirmed the parliament’s right to refuse or accept what it wishes, Ogassapian , however, Hariri denied that the agreement contains a definition of terrorism, adding that the Arab Convention’s definition is the accepted one.

France considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization

Administrative appointments

Hariri told the ministers that the a list of nominees for administrative appointments should be submitted to the cabinet soon.

Syria’s trip
The PM advised the cabinet that he will visit Damascus at the head of a ministerial delegation on Sunday.

Nas Air flight XY 720 took off from Beirut airport late Friday with 130 people on board and landed Saturday morning in the Saudi capital.

Airport workers in Riyadh found the remains of a man who reportedly tried to hitch a ride on Nas Air.

Lebanon Files has reported that MP Khaled Zahrman branded the incident a “scandal” and called for an immediate , serious and transparent investigation to identify all those responsible, noting that the airport should have in place strong measures that will prevent illegal access to the aircraft.

He added: “This unprecedented incident is a real scandal in the strict sense of the word, which means there was some deficiency in providing airport security”pointing out that the security of the runway and the aircraft should be a top priority for all airport security personnel.

Zahrman wondered: How could the passengers and flight attendants on Nas Air plane see the man running towards the aircraft ,while those in charge of monitoring airport security were unable to see him? How did this man in the first place get to the runway and where was the airport security? He added: Why didn’t the pilot stop when he was informed about the matter.

Nahar newspaper quoted well informed sources as saying , that despite the measures preventing anyone from reaching the tarmac, the man was able to approach the Saudi-owned Nas Air jet. Such a lax in security could lead to terrorist acts, the sources told an Nahar

According to An Nahar sources Lebanon has been suffering since the 1990s from the problem of illegal buildings in the vicinity of the airport that prevent the control tower from seeing part of the runway, An Nahar.

A plane's landing gear. Airport workers in Riyadh found a human body on the landing gear of a flight from Beirut, after a man apparently tried to hitch a ride on the Saudi-owned Nas Air jet

Al-Hayat newspaper said that Lebanese security authorities at Rafik Hariri international airport received from their Saudi counterparts a photo of the body which indicates the man was in his 20s.

The National News Agency said passengers on the plane spotted a man in a baseball cap with a backpack make a dash for the plane as it prepared to taxi. He stumbled once and then continued towards the plane.

“The passengers and flight attendants informed the pilot, but he did not take any action and continued takeoff without informing the Beirut control tower” that anything was amiss, according to the NNA.

Saudi al-Watan daily said the man’s backpack included his personal belongings and no identification card.

Sources at Beirut airport said the man was seen in the vicinity of the airport several times.

Lebanese Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi told al-Hayat that he ordered airlines based at the airport to investigate whether one of their staff was missing and urged security at the facility to probe the infiltration of any person from the airport building to the runway.

Aridi did not rule out the possibility to carry out DNA tests to find out the identity of the man.

Baroud quiet

Lebanon’s Interior Minister Ziad Baroud refused to comment on the the security breach at Beirut airport.

Baroud told Voice of Lebanon that he was waiting for the investigation “because the issue may not be a security breach particularly since there are workers on the runway.”

He vowed to complete the investigation into the incident, saying the probe was not just administrative but judicial as well.

Baroud stressed that the judiciary should be given all the necessary support to prevent any political cover-up for attackers.

Update1: Al Mustaqbal TV reported that the remains do not belong to any employee of the airport and stated that the person may have sneaked in from one of the nearby buildings surrounding the airport

Update 2: the Lebanese security services managed to identity the person whose body was found on the landing gear of the Saudi jet aircraft .
He lived in Burj el Barajnet near the airport , which explains the reasons behind his ability to infiltrate the airport runways.

The information reveals that the person was 20 years old Lebanese and was suffering from psychological and mental disorders. His body was not distorted and had 2 cigarette butts in his ear , probably to avoid the noise of the aircraft. The investigation is continuing and DNA tests are being performed .

The head of customs at Ben-Gurion International Airport said yesterday they have confiscated 10 iPads.

The decision follows the refusal of the ministry’s engineering staff to compromise on testing the device’s suitability and compliance with Israeli wireless networks.

For now, the ministry has not given the device categorical approval required for wireless devices; and ministry officials say its wireless technology is not compatible with Israeli standards.

It may be months before an Israeli distributor for Apple products has a localized version of the iPad ready for sale domestically.

TUAW & Haaretz

The embassy said “the Community Policing course is a ten- week, state-of-the-art training program taught by U.S. and Lebanese police instructors with the assistance of legal professionals.”

It added that “ISF officers learn the latest policing, law enforcement and community relations skills — and how to implement them effectively in on-the-job situations.”

The statement also said the program is “designed to support Lebanese law enforcement sector reform by strengthening the capacity of the ISF to enforce the rule of law in Lebanon and to protect the Lebanese people.”

The U.S embassy announcement came amid a fierce internal political debate concerning the nature of the 86-million-U.S. dollar assistance program.

Some Lebanese politicians consider it a training and donation program to Lebanese police, while others see it as a “security agreement” between the United States and the ISF.

Lebanese lawmaker Nawaf Mousawi accused the U.S. embassy in February of “meddling into Lebanese internal affairs.”

Mousawi’s accusations came after local daily As Safir reported that the U.S. embassy requested information from the forensic investigation chief in the ISF on communications in Lebanon, including Lebanese cellular network stations and their locations.

But Lebanese Foreign Minister Ali al-Shami said last week that the report is “exaggerated.”

Xinhua

The man according to the reports was hiding behind a rock on the Lebanese side of the border and speaking with an Israeli army patrol, when he was arrested. When the suspect saw the Lebanese patrol, he tried to escape to the Israeli side but was captured by police.

The man was caught on Wednesday when he was spotted by a police patrol near the Israeli-Lebanese border. Police revealed Thursday that the suspect had arrived in Lebanon from Jordan a week ago.

The man was handed over to the Lebanese army for further interrogation.

Late last month, Lebanon’s military prosecutor indicted three Lebanese with spying for Israel as part of an espionage investigation lasting nearly a year in which at least 27 suspects have been detained.

If convicted, the three could be given death sentences. In the indictment, Judge Samih al-Haj said the suspects had given Israel information on civil and military locations and on political figures.

One of the three was indicted in absentia. Hezbollah, the Iranian- and Syrian-backed military and political group, has called for the death penalty for all suspects convicted of spying for Israel.

About two weeks ago, a Lebanese man was sentenced to death for masterminding a bombing in southern Lebanon that killed a senior member of a Palestinian militant group and his brother in 2006.

(Haaretz)

The General Security boosted its border control in the wake of January’s assassination of top Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai by what is thought to have been Israeli Mossad agents using fake European and Australian passports.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah raised the passport issue in a parliamentary session shortly after the killing and told As-Sharq al-Awsat that “the government has to take the necessary measures to preserve security and stability in the face of Israeli attempts,” adding that “many Israelis have previously managed to enter Lebanon with European and non-European passports.”

Although the idea came across opposition from many politicians, including Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar, the General Directorate of General Security went ahead with the tough measures Hezbollah asked for.

During an interview with Al Manar TV, the head of the GDGS, General Wafiq Jezzini, who has close ties to Hezbollah, described his new plan to keep Israeli infiltrators out of Lebanon. According to Jezzini, lists of Jewish family names have been distributed at the borders. “When someone arrives in Lebanon with a foreign passport and his family name suggests that he is of Jewish origin, the border center sends his information to the central information office at the General Security Directorate, which specifically takes responsibility for following this individual,” Jezzini said.

Several foreigners NOW Lebanon spoke to have already been denied entry into the country at the airport. Most of them were in Lebanon to study or were employed by Lebanese companies. Some of them ended up stranded in other Middle Eastern countries while all their belongings stayed here. In the meantime, their friends are trying to convince the General Security that they made a mistake. (None of the Europeans or Australians interviewed by NOW Lebanon wished to make their names or the details of their stories public for fear that they might anger General Security and make the situation worse for themselves and their friends working here on their behalf.)

Lebanese lawyers consulted by NOW Lebanon, who demanded their names not be mentioned for the same reasons, said they can’t do anything about the cases. The lawyers pointed out that while General Security can’t turn people away on just a hunch or because their names sound different, most of the foreigners were denied entry on pretext of not having a proper work permit or for being in the country too long on a temporary residency visa.

Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar told MTV last week that Lebanon should not reject foreigners entering the country for touristic, cultural and economic reasons out of fear that they are spies. “It is not acceptable for Lebanon to let its fear of Israel become intellectual terrorism,” he said.

The new boost in security at the Lebanese borders might hurt tourism, one of the most important sources of revenue for the Lebanese state, especially as it comes right before the summer season. In 2009, after a year of political stability, Lebanon had the highest increase in the number of tourists in the world. According to the World Tourism Organization, 39 percent more people came to visit Lebanon after it was declared the number-one international destination by several renowned publications. It might not happen this year, as unreasonably tight security at the borders might send tourists to more friendly countries.

Now Lebanon