25 October 2010
BEIRUT: The press office of Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas issued a statement over the weekend about the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) conference condemning Israel’s violation of Lebanon’s telecoms sector, saying that the sector has been and is still being subjected to Israeli interference, reported As-Safir newspaper over the weekend.
It said Lebanon’s “mobile phone and land lines are being subjected to Israeli piracy, interference, and obstruction.”
Moreover, the conference, which took place in Mexico, said Lebanon had the right to ask for compensation for the harm that had been inflicted on the telecoms network.
ITU’s role as creator of the world’s most universally recognized info-communications standards dates back as far as the organization itself.
Since its inception in 1865, the ITU has been brokering industry consensus on the technologies and services that form the backbone of the world’s largest, most interconnected man-made systems.
In 2007 alone, ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) produced over 160 new and revised standards (ITU-T Recommendations), covering everything from core network functionality and broadband to next-generation services like IPTV.
The condemnation came after extensive efforts by the Lebanese telecoms minister to persuade the 124 participants to condemn Israel. Forty-three members voted in favor, 23 against, while 57 abstained.
Meanwhile, MP Hasan Fadlallah told As-Safir that the condemnation was a “major Lebanese accomplishment and the document is damning evidence that proves the extent of Israel’s assault on the telecommunications sector.”
Fadlallah said that this incident required regular follow-ups and practical measures by the Lebanese government to take advantage of the international reaction to this assault.
“This sector should be well protected in order to immunize Lebanon against any confrontation with Israel,” he said.
The report issued by the ITU gave a brief overview about article 75 which is related to Lebanon. It assured that the presence of a trustful telecoms network was a necessity for the support of social and economic growth in all countries and mainly those which were exposed to Israeli assaults.
It added that the damage incurred to communications facilities in Lebanon should be the subject of interest of the international community.
The report also said that Lebanon had the right to be compensated for the damages that it had incurred
The report also reminded all member countries of the regulations of the ITU and that they should respect the main principles included in articles 5, 6 and 7 of the ITU constitution. – The Daily Star
Copyright The Daily Star 2010.
