A Saudi security official has revealed that the Kingdom provided essential intelligence information to the Lebanese government “months” ago which helped it crack down on the Fatah Al-Islam militant group at the Nahr Albarid camp. Fatah Al-Islam fought the Lebanese army at the Nahr Al Barid camp of Palestinian refugees in 2007. The clashes resulted in the death of more than 20 Saudis. The security officials said the information was about “the organization itself and its plans.” The official said the exchange of information falls within Kingdom's cooperation with friendly countries fighting terrorism. The security official's comments come in the wake of the imminent trial of 12 persons involved in the clashes, including three Saudis who the Kingdom turned over to the Lebanese government last week. Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, met Lebanese Minister of Interior Ziyad Barood on March 6 during the Lebanese President's visit to the Kingdom. Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Awwad Asiri, said the Lebanese government is holding the Saudis who were arrested in Lebanon and initially sent to Saudi Arabia for investigation. He said they were allegedly involved in terrorism cases but most of them were arrested for their alleged involvement in the Nahr Albarid clashes. The Lebanese judiciary is expected to begin trying the suspects soon. They include Arabs and other foreigners. The Saudis deported last Thursday after investigations are: Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Maghamsi, Abdullah Muhammed Al-Bishi, and Muhammed Saleh Al-Suwaiyed. The Lebanese government is charging the three for being members of the terrorist organization of Fatah Al-Islam. Lebanese sources have claimed that Al-Maghamsi was the head of a terrorist cell in Bar Al-Yas, in the Lebanese Biqa' region. Al-Bishi was arrested before the clashes started when he was trying to leave Lebanon after an alleged dispute between him and the terrorist organization's head Shaker Al-Absi. Meanwhile, the Lebanese authorities said that they will deport Saudi national Muhammed Jawad Al-Isa of the Eastern Province after completing their investigation into charges that he had provoked Israeli soldiers on the country's southern borders. Ambassador Asiri said media allegations that the detained man is a spy for Israeli intelligence are untrue. The 26-year-old man was suffering psychologically because his family refused to let him marry a Jordanian girl he loved, he said. Lebanese authorities arrested Al-Isa last Wednesday at the border area. Some Lebanese newspapers had claimed the man was a spy and he was talking to the head of an Israeli military patrol when he was arrested. “The embassy sent the head of the Saudi Nationals Department to meet Al-Isa and attend part of the interrogations,” the ambassador said.
