Defense Minister Elias Murr on Monday said a law setting the rules for legal interception of communications to safeguard national security would be applied as of Tuesday "for the first time since independence" in 1943.
Murr made the statement to reporters after a lengthy meeting by ministers of defense, interior, communications and justice along with commanders of security agencies under Premier Fouad Saniora to tackle the issue of alleged wiretapping of communications.
Murr refused to answer questions as to whether wiretapping of communications had been applied illegally.
"What I am saying is that the interception of communications would be carried out legally and in line with national security as of tomorrow (Tuesday)," Murr said.
He said Communications Minister Gebran Bassil "took time to review certain files in the first week of his assumption of duties. Unfortunately, regrettable events happened at that time."
"The Minister of Communications did not withhold data from anyone. He just took time to review files," Murr added.
The Ministry of communications would "prepare the center for intercepting communication that would by run by officers," he added.
He explained that any security agency that wants to monitor calls by a certain side would apply for the procedure to "their minister, who would refer it to the related ministries for implementation after informing the premier of it."
The pledged procedure, Murr said, would protect privacy for the citizens using communication channels.