Army says LF official admitted plotting with Jewish state

Tawfiq Hindi, a senior official of the banned Lebanese Forces, has confessed to having been in touch with “Israeli” officials with the aim of promoting anti-Syrian activity in the country, the military said Sunday.
A statement from the army was initially retracted before being amended and re-released. The army also took the unprecedented step of making available to all television stations a video of the interrogation in which State Prosecutor Adnan Addoum is seen questioning Hindi. Despite the poor sound quality of the videotape, it appeared to confirm the charges contained in the statement.
According to the amended version of the statement, Hindi confessed that he traveled to Paris in April, where he contacted some old LF friends, including Joseph Jbeili and Ghassan Touma. Hindi allegedly said that while in Paris he purchased a SIM card for a mobile telephone, whose number he gave to Touma. Hindi was allegedly told by Touma that he should expect a phone call from Odid Zaray, the information adviser to Uri Lubrani, who coordinated “Israeli” activities in Lebanon during the occupation.
Hindi was reportedly told that Zaray would give him instructions concerning the situation in Lebanon and “Israel’s” response.
The initial army statement said Zaray had contacted Hindi, while the amended version claimed Hindi made the contact.
The statement said that Hindi’s contact with Zaray coincided with the opening meeting of the Qornet Shehwan Gathering in May. Zaray allegedly told Hindi that it was important to launch anti-Syrian protests which would coincide with an “Israeli” propaganda campaign.
Hindi allegedly confessed that the “Israeli” request was to pressure Syria to secure calm on Lebanon’s border with “Israel”.
Addoum said he was determined to pursue Hindi’s confessions because he was convinced “this could not be the only official contact between “Israel” and some Lebanese groups.”
Addoum said he had evidence of other contacts between Lebanon and “Israel”, either directly or via embassies here embassies or other channels abroad. He also said that the Lebanese persons through which the contacts were made belonged to various professional or political groups.
Meanwhile, Addoum said Saturday that it was unlikely that high-ranking detainees from the Free Patriotic Movement and the LF would be referred to the Judicial Council. Eleven detainees were referred to Addoum on Saturday. They include Hindi and retired General Nadim Lteif, the FPM’s coordinator in Lebanon, whose testimony will be heard on Monday before they are referred to the concerned courts.
According to figures released by Addoum, the total number of those still in detention is 73, after 66 were released.
Of the 73, only 11, including Hindi and Lteif, are still in the custody of military intelligence.
Addoum said that the charges Hindi and Lteif face fall under the jurisdiction of criminal courts rather than the Judicial Council.
The Military Tribunal dealt with 36 other detainees during proceedings on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, nine other detainees appeared before Mount Lebanon Chief Public Prosecutor Shawqi Hajjar, on charges of belonging to outlawed or unlicensed political groups. Mount Lebanon’s chief Criminal Court magistrate, Charbel Abu Samra, is expected to deal with another 30 detainees who are due to be sentenced this week.
Eight people from Dory Chamoun’s National Liberal Party were released after questioning but were ordered to re-appear when requested.

1-      The Daily Star, 13-8-2001.