March 18,2010 - naharnet - Marjayoun Police Arrest Saudi Allegedly Spying for Israel.doc

Marjayoun Police Arrest Saudi Allegedly Spying for Israel
Police in Marjayoun have arrested a Saudi allegedly spying for the Israeli Mossad, An Nahar daily reported Thursday.
The newspaper said that on Wednesday a police patrol near the barbed wire that separates Lebanon from Israel noticed a man hiding behind a rock on the Lebanese side of the border and speaking with an Israeli army patrol.

When the suspect saw the Lebanese patrol, he tried to escape to the Israeli side. However, Marjayoun police seized the man, who was identified as Jawad bin Fahd al-Issa.

The suspect smashed his mobile phone before his arrest, An Nahar said.

Investigation revealed that al-Issa had arrived in Lebanon from Jordan a week ago. He told investigators that he was depressed and wanted to commit suicide. So he decided to head to southern Lebanon to lure Israelis into killing him.

Al-Issa was handed over to the Lebanese army because the military is responsible for the area where he was arrested.

The Saudi Okaz newspaper said the suspect is called Mohammed bin Jawad al-Issa. He was contacting the Israeli army to escape to the Palestinian territories, it reported.

The daily quoted security sources as saying that he was trying to provoke the Israeli army and denied he was attempting to escape to Israel. The sources also said that he threw a calling device on the other side of the border before his arrest.

The Saudi ambassador, Ali Awad al-Assiri, told Okaz that he was following up the issue closely with Lebanese authorities and stressed that the nationality of the suspect hasn't been identified yet.


Beirut, Updated 18 Mar 10, 10:37


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