Aerial view of Rafik Hariri International Airport. Archive photo AFP.
The security service at Rafik Hariri International Airport (RHIA) is reportedly imposing strict security measures on flights arriving from Iraq, subjecting them to thorough searches. The pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat reported Tuesday that "all flights from Iraq undergo extensive searches upon arrival at the airport, in anticipation of the introduction of money or funds" intended for Hezbollah.
"Procedures for planes from Iraq have become similar to those from Iran," the outlet added. Two informed sources confirmed this information to L’Orient-Le Jour. One source said passenger luggage from Iraq is systematically scanned. The other noted that the measure applies to all planes arriving from destinations that might carry passengers heading to Lebanon for the funerals of two former Hezbollah leaders, Hassan Nasrallah, and Hashem Safieddine, who were assassinated in Israeli strikes on Sept. 27 and Oct. 3, respectively. The funerals are scheduled for Feb. 23 near the airport.
Contacted by Asharq al-Awsat, RHIA Director Fadi al-Hassan said, "Inspections of civil aircraft, whether from Iraq or Iran, are routine and similar to procedures adopted for flights arriving from all over the world." However, a security source inside the airport, also cited by the newspaper, said: "Exceptional measures apply to flights from Baghdad, similar to those for flights from Iran." The measures, he confirmed, "include all passengers, luggage and cargo on board these flights."
Measures to prevent Israeli targeting of airport
"This is not about restricting or harassing travelers but about measures imposed by the security situation following Israel’s war on Lebanon and Lebanon's commitment to security standards agreed upon with the Americans, ensuring that Beirut airport is not vulnerable to targeting and closure by Israel," a source added.
The source noted that the airport security service is enforcing a policy set by the previous government to ensure the airport continues operating normally.
A cease-fire came into effect on Nov. 27 between Israel and Hezbollah after more than a year of hostilities. The conflict included two months of full-scale war, during which Israel also deployed ground troops in southern Lebanon. Under the cease-fire agreement, the Lebanese Army was to deploy alongside U.N. peacekeepers in the South, while the Israeli army was expected to withdraw within 60 days, a deadline initially set for Jan. 26 but later postponed to Feb. 18.
A surveillance mechanism involving France, the United States, Lebanon, Israel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been established to monitor the agreement’s implementation, based on U.N. Resolution 1701, which states that only the Lebanese Army and U.N. peacekeepers may be deployed in southern Lebanon.
The source acknowledged that Beirut’s airport "is under strict international surveillance, particularly by the Americans." She added that flights from Iraq are subject to the same strict procedures as those from Iran, citing intelligence reports suggesting that Iranians may be using Iraq as a transit point to transfer funds to Hezbollah.
Asharq al-Awsat also interviewed Brig. Gen. Khaled Hamadeh, a security and military affairs expert, who confirmed that "Beirut airport is under international surveillance, particularly by the Americans." He stressed that "the Lebanese state is required to implement measures to combat money laundering and illicit financial transfers."
"Any Iraqi arriving in Beirut from Paris will be searched, just as any Iranian citizen flying in from London may be suspected and searched if there is concern about Iranian funds being transferred to Hezbollah," he said. "This falls under the airport security agency’s responsibility to safeguard the airport and ensure its normal and safe operation."