حزب الله يمدّ شبكة ألياف ضوئية

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 BEIRUT 000523 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/YERGER, STATE FOR NEA/ELA, 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2018 
TAGS: PTER, ECPS, PINR, LE, IR, SY 
SUBJECT: LEBANON:  HIZBALLAH GOES FIBER OPTIC 
 
REF: BEIRUT 490 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michele Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and 
(d) 
 
SUMMARY 
 
1. (S) Requesting a special meeting with Charge, 
Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh decried the 
establishment of a complete fiber optics network by Hizballah 
throughout Lebanon.  The GOL has been sharing this 
information widely among friends of Lebanon, to include the 
governments of France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE. 
Hamadeh sees only two choices for the GOL: approach the UN 
Security Council, or use the "cover" of March 14-friendly 
municipalities to cut the lines.  However, he questioned 
whether the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal 
Security Forces (ISF) have the "guts" to do so, given that 
Hizballah already stated to Lebanese security officials that 
it would view this as equal to an Israeli act of aggression, 
and would then take action against the GOL.  Hamadeh hopes 
that Saad Hariri, now in Geneva, will return soon to Lebanon 
so that March 14 can meet to formulate a strategy.  End 
summary. 
 
GOL HAS BEEN SHARING 
HIZBALLAH FIBER OPTIC MAP, 
REPORT WIDELY 
------------- 
 
2. (S)  &Iran Telecom is taking over the country!8 were the 
first words out of the mouth of Minister of 
Telecommunications Marwan Hamadeh when he met with Charge and 
Econoff on April 16.  He was referring to the discovery of a 
complete fiber optic system (FiOS) installed by Hizballah 
throughout Lebanon - reftel.  In addition, Hizballah has 
introduced Wi-Max in Beirut's southern suburbs.  Hamadeh 
pointed out that although Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation 
(LBC) television had run a story the previous night about the 
Hizballah FiOS network, it was already widely known.  The LBC 
story was not planted by the GOL, nor planned, but in 
Hamadeh's opinion it was no bad thing to get the story out 
there.  Hamadeh himself has been sharing the news both within 
the GOL and outside, with &friends,8 which includes the 
Arab countries, the U.S., France (Sarkozy was &stunned") and 
Terje Roed-Larsen of the UN.  He briefed Bernard Kouchner, 
Jean-David Levitte, Boris Bouillon  and Michel Barnier while 
in Paris.  In Beirut he spoke to Charge Andre Parent of 
France and Ambassador Abdul Aziz Khoja of Saudi Arabia.  Saad 
Hariri, when he heard, sent a private plane from Saudi Arabia 
to pick up a copy of the map, which traces in detail the 
route of the system, to share with Saudi King Abdullah and 
Intelligence Chief Prince Mukrin bin Abdul-Aziz.  PM Siniora 
briefed the Jordanians and Emiratis, as well as Arab League 
SYG Amr Musa on the network during his recent trip around the 
region, Hamadeh confirmed.  Within Lebanon Hamadeh says that 
the first person he told, after the Prime Minister and Druze 
leader Walid Jumblatt was Maronite Patriarch Sfeir.  Hamadeh 
described the strategic implications of the Hizballah plan, 
which he says is targeting the Christian areas, despite a 
denial of that by Hizballah.  In addition to Hamadeh and PM 
Siniora, Druze leader Walid Jumblatt and Defense Minister 
Michel Murr have been active in the GL information campaign 
on the network. 
 
INTERFERENCE IN TELECOMS 
LINKED TO NETWORK 
----------------- 
 
3. (S) While the confrontation over the FiOS system was 
taking place with Hizballah, mobile telecommunications were 
being subject to interference by Syria in the north, Israel 
in the south and possibly by the UN at sea, according to 
Hamadeh.  The information about Israeli interference was 
passed &unofficially8 by UNIFIL, since, in a recurring 
complaint by Hamadeh during the conversation, the LAF has not 
reported any problems officially.  The Syrian interference is 
similar to that occurring during the Nahr al-Barid fighting, 
and highlights the ability of the Syrians to communicate 
within Lebanon through non-Lebanese mobile systems.  Because 
the system in the part of Syria bordering on northern Lebanon 
is a private company, MTM, Hamadeh believes that they offer 
political cover to the Syrian government, who he nevertheless 
believes is behind the problem.  Hamadeh views these events 
as part of the same strategic interference in Lebanon, both 
internally and externally.  Hamadeh has a map that delineates 
 
BEIRUT 00000523  002 OF 004 
 
 
the interference, in an arc that runs from the north to the 
south of Lebanon. 
 
MARCH 14 NEEDS TO MEET, 
BUT SAAD SHOULD BE THERE 
------------------------ 
 
4. (S) Hamadeh said that he, the Prime Minister and Minister 
of Defense Elias Murr are all danger, but he and Murr will 
take the biggest risk in exposing the Hizballah FiOS network. 
 Hamadeh told the PM that he could not assume the risk alone 
for a showdown with Hizballah.  He also used the risk of 
physical harm as a deterrent with Jumblatt, who wanted to 
hold a press conference to expose the Hizballah system. 
Hamadeh believes that this is a March 14 issue, and cannot be 
resolved without the participation of Saad Hariri.  Hamadeh 
complained that there has not yet been either a March 14 
meeting or a cabinet meeting to discuss this matter.  He says 
he asked for such discussions in a meeting with PM Siniora 
April 15, and will raise it again when they meet April 16. 
Hamadeh also discussed the issue with Larsen, whom he met 
with recently in Paris, although he did not give Larsen the 
map.  If the GOL decides to raise the issue with the United 
Nations Security Council (UNSC) he will then provide the map, 
said Hamadeh. 
 
HIZBALLAH RESPONSE 
- DON'T TOUCH! 
-------------- 
 
5. (S) Hamadeh reported that LAF G-2 Brigadier General 
Georges Khoury and ISF Major General Ashraf Rifi saw Wafiq 
Safa, the Hizballah liaison to the Lebanese intelligence 
services, together.  Khoury asked Safa to take down two parts 
of the network as a first step; Safa refused.  Safa stated 
that the network is part of Hizballah's ability to defend 
Lebanon, and that Hizballah would regard any attack on the 
network as an act of aggression.  However, PM Siniora only 
got a written report from Khoury ten days after the meeting, 
Hamadeh complained.  Even then, the report was unsigned and 
thus returned to Khoury for signature.  According to their 
report, Hizballah argued that the PM, Hamadeh and Murr are 
only raising the issue of the FiOS system in order to bring 
up the issue of Hizballah weapons.  Safa stated categorically 
that the FiOS system is not up for discussion because it is a 
key part of the Hizballah arsenal. Safa freely acknowledged 
to Rifi and Khoury that the network exists.  It could only be 
discussed as part of a defense strategy, he said, adding that 
the network has no commercial or trade implications.  He 
maintained that it does not penetrate the Christian areas. 
 
HIZBALLAH ASSERTIONS UNTRUE 
----------------- 
 
6. (S) Hamadeh believes both Hizballah assertions to be 
untrue.  He refutes the Hizballah claim that the system 
exists solely to give them defensive communications 
throughout the country, saying that there are &centrales8 
or hubs in many villages along the route, and no doubt these 
have lines running off to other villages and residences.  He 
also believes that Hizballah crews are only waiting for the 
snows in the Christian regions of Metn and Kswaran to melt 
before completing penetration of these regions from the east. 
 
WORK DONE UNDER 
VARIOUS FORMS OF COVER 
----------------- 
 
7. (S) To complete the installations and at the same time 
stay below the radar, Hamadeh says that Hizballah has used 
the municipalities to issue local permits.  For example, in 
Sidon they are working under the cover provided by Abdel 
Rahman Bizri, the mayor.  In another case the Ministry of 
Energy issued a permit for work that was &to reinforce 
energy lines,8 although Hamadeh says that was clearly not 
true.  Hamadeh says that the whole of the Bekaa valley was 
done with local permits, and installations were done by 
different groups, each unaware of what the others were doing. 
 However, he also says that some of the work was done with 
the knowledge of resigned Minister of Energy Fneish, a 
Hizballah member. 
 
DISCOVERY AND REPORT 
-------------------- 
 
8. (S) The first official report was from the region of 
 
BEIRUT 00000523  003 OF 004 
 
 
Chouifat, which reported installation of an unknown fiber 
optic system, and asked the Minister of the Interior to stop 
it.  No one did anything because, in Hamadeh's opinion, they 
&had no guts.8  At the time of the earlier exposure of the 
Hizballah telephone lines running through Beirut, and even 
along the wall of the French embassy, the GOL asked Hizballah 
to remove those lines, which Hizballah did, and Hamadeh said 
that he believed at the time that would be the end of the 
network in the south.  The full Ministry of 
Telecommunications report on the system was compiled by 
engineers in the ministry and others, including Shia 
engineers from the south, who Hamadeh believes could be in 
great danger because of the report.  Once again Hamadeh 
pointed out that there were no official reports yet from ISF 
Major General Rifi or LAF G-2 Brigadier General Khoury. 
 
FUNDING FROM IRAN 
----------------- 
 
9. (S) The current installations, as per the map Hamadeh has 
given us, shows lines running from Beirut, around both sides 
of the airport, into the south below the Litani and back up 
through the Bekaa valley to the far north.  It covers the 
Palestinian camps, and the Hizballah training camps in the 
Bekaa, and is penetrating deep into the Christian Metn and 
Ksarwan areas.  Although Hamadeh says he has &a few names,8 
he did not list the companies who are responsible for the 
installation, but said that information would be made 
available shortly.  He cited the Iranian Fund for the 
Reconstruction of Lebanon as the source of the funding.  This 
same group has been rebuilding roads and bridges since the 
July 2006 war with Israel, and has been accused before of 
installing telecommunications lines in parallel with new 
roads.  Hamadeh said that he wants to get the list of 
companies involved and black list them with the GOL. 
 
STRATEGIC VICTORY 
----------------- 
 
10. (S) Hamadeh highlights the system as a strategic victory 
for Iran, since it creates an important Iranian outpost in 
Lebanon, bypassing Syria.  He sees the value for the Iranians 
as strategic, rather than technical or economic.  The value 
for Hizballah is the final step in creating a nation state. 
Hizballah now has an army and weapons; a television station; 
an education system; hospitals; social services; a financial 
system; and a telecommunications system.  As a sign of its 
confidence Hizballah official Safa told Khoury and Rifi that 
any move against the FiOS system would be taken as &an 
Israeli attack8 and dealt with accordingly.  When Khoury and 
Rifi pointed out that the people in the area might not accept 
this and might show hostility to Hizballah in this case, Safa 
replied, &We don't care; we will accept hostile reactions.8 
 At that point, according to Hamadeh, the GOL decided it 
needed to inform its friends and make a decision on the next 
steps to be taken. 
 
HAMADEH PREPARES 
INTERNAL CAMPAIGN 
----------------- 
 
11. (S) Meanwhile, Hamadeh is preparing a &very strong8 
internal campaign.  This campaign, he said, has the potential 
to &destroy8 Aoun and mobilize Christians, as well as 
influence those Shia who are already beginning to worry about 
Hizballah.  He is waiting for a March 14 meeting to discuss 
this campaign.  Saad has apparently traveled to London and 
Geneva this week, and is expected to be back in Riyadh by 
4/20.  Saad has been out of Lebanon for some several weeks 
and it is not known when he will return.  Hamadeh sees only 
two choices for the GOL: approach the UN Security Council 
directly, or take on Hizballah by cutting lines.  But do the 
Lebanese security forces have the "guts" for that, or are 
they frightened by Safa's statement that those actions would 
be considered an act of aggression, he wonders. 
 
12. (S) Comment:  Last year, when Hamadeh's 
telecommunications ministry "discovered" the well-known 
Hizballah telephone system, including the line strung along 
the wall of the French embassy, he maintained that the GOL 
would not tolerate the erosion of its "last monopoly" by 
Hizballah,  However, aside from the ceremonial cutting of the 
French embassy line, there was no further action.  This time 
around, it appears that by sharing as widely as possible the 
details of the plan, the GOL may hope that someone else will 
take on the challenge. End cmment. 
 
BEIRUT 00000523  004 OF 004 
 
 
SISON