BEIRUT: Hezbollah and the Amal Movement slammed Washington Friday for allegedly spying on the resistance group in Lebanon and urged authorities to counter espionage by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
A joint statement at the end of a meeting between local Hezbollah and Amal officials in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, condemned the “flagrant assault on Lebanon’s sovereignty by U.S. intelligence.”
It said spying by the CIA in Lebanon was no “less dangerous” than Israeli intelligence work and that the two were “complementary.”
The statement called on the Lebanese government to take the “necessary legal and security measures” and task Lebanese security services to counter the alleged CIA network.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press – citing current and former U.S. officials – said the CIA’s operations in Lebanon had been badly damaged after Hezbollah identified and captured a number of U.S. spies.
In recent months, CIA officials have secretly been scrambling to protect their remaining spies – foreign assets or agents working for the agency – before Hezbollah can find them, the AP said.
The Cabinet discussed Wednesday reports that the CIA had operatives working for the agency in Lebanon.
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly met with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour before Cabinet meeting amid reports that she had been summoned in connection with the alleged CIA spying network in Lebanon. Connelly did not speak to reporters after the meeting.
Information Minister Walid Daouk denied that Connelly had been summoned at the Foreign Ministry over this issue.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told The Daily Star Connelly’s meeting with Mansour had been prescheduled, adding that the CIA issue was not addressed during the discussions.
Earlier Wednesday, Hezbollah claimed victory in what it described as its “intelligence war” with the CIA.
"Lebanese intelligence vanquished U.S. and Israeli intelligence in what is now known as the intelligence war," Hezbollah MP Hasan Fadlallah.
"The resistance blinded American intelligence eyes," he added.