RTTNews) – Lebanon’s government said on Tuesday that it would close down the telecommunications network used by Hezbollah for military purposes, as it was illegal and a danger to state security.Hezbollah argues that the telecommunication network is an integral part of its armory to fight Israelis. It says that the telecom network was used extensively in the group’s war against Israel in 2006, which lasted over 3 months. Though Hezbollah maintains that its arsenal will only be used to defend against Israeli attacks, the Lebanese government sees the group’s paramilitary capacity as a threat to its own authority and has consistently called on the Hezbollah to disarm.

At the end of a marathon 11 hour cabinet session, Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi also announced on Tuesday that Brig Gen Wafiq Shuqeir, who was removed earlier for sympathizing with Hezbollah, would rejoin the army. Brig Gen Wafiq Shuqeir was earlier removed from the post of the commander of security at Beirut international airport for failing to detect spy cameras set up at the airport, allegedly by the Hezbollah, to monitor the movement of anti-Syrian Lebanese politicians and foreign dignitaries.  Top Shiite cleric, Sheik Abdul-Amir Kabalan, had dismissed allegations of Shoukair

The allegations were first levied by anti-Syrian leader Walid Jumblatt, who on Saturday accused Hezbollah of placing the cameras and suggested Hezbollah was planning to assassinate senior leaders by bombing aircraft.

Jumblatt also said Saturday that Shoukair, whom he described as a Hezbollah loyalist, should be fired and called for the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon.

Hezbollah dismissed the allegations concerning airport surveillance and fired back with its own accusations against Jumblatt.

Kassem, the Hezbollah deputy leader, said the group’s telecommunications network was a necessity for the group’s deterrence capabilities in the fight against Israel and "complemented" Hezbollah’s arsenal of weapons.