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Egyptian forces in Sinai on high alert for Hezbollah terror By Yoav Stern Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula have been put on high alert in recent days following the arrest of a Hezbollah spy network operating on Egyptian soil, reported the Cairo-based Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum. Egyptian officials fear other Hezbollah-linked activists are still at large and operating in Sinai, and may try to carry out terrorist attacks on Egyptian territory. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak commented on the arrests for the first time during a telephone conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora yesterday, telling the pro-Western politician that Egypt will not allow foreign factions to undermine its sovereignty. He added that the Egyptian justice system will deal with the groups that Hezbollah ran inside Egypt. Advertisement The verbal blows and counterattacks between Egypt and Hezbollah escalated yesterday, with the al-Gomhouria newspaper calling Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, a "monkey sheikh" in its main editorial. The editorial, written by editor Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, covered the front page and carried the headline "A criminal who knows no repentance" over a picture of Nasrallah. "I say to you what every Egyptian knows, that you are an Iranian party," Ibrahim wrote. "Are there instructions from Iran to drag Egypt into a conflict?" "We do not allow you, Oh Monkey Sheikh, to mock our judiciary, for you are a bandit and veteran criminal who killed your countrymen, but we will not allow you to threaten the security and safety of Egypt ... and if you threaten its sovereignty, you will burn!" al-Gomhouria wrote. The Egyptian public prosecutor is considering naming Nasrallah personally as one of the defendants in the affair, with a charge bearing the death penalty, after charging nine people with spying for Hezbollah. The suspects are charged with working for a foreign state and aiming to harm Egypt's security. Egyptian security forces also confiscated weapons and bombs the suspects allegedly planned to use. In response, Hezbollah television channel Al-Manar was scheduled to broadcast late last night a program on the matter containing serious criticism of the Egyptians. The Egyptian parliament met yesterday to discuss possible responses to Nasrallah's plot, reported Egypt's official newspaper Al-Ahram. Parliament members are demanding that Nasrallah be placed on trial after he acknowledged on Friday that the Lebanese-based group is running the espionage cell inside the country, in an effort to aid Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Further details from the investigation were released yesterday, revealing that Hezbollah operated three units inside Egypt, each isolated from the others. All three were run directly from Lebanon by a senior Hezbollah official, using Sami Shihab, who was arrested, as the conduit. Shihab has told his interrogators "it was an honor" for him to be a member of Hezbollah. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Proposed sanctions Dutch Labor Party proposes sanctions against Israel if it thwarts peace process. False alarm Delta flight gets IAF fighter jet escort after pilot activates anti-hijack warning system.

Read & React Egypt: Hezbollah targeted Israeli tourists in Sinai Responses: 45 ANALYSIS / Egypt anger over Iran likely led to Hezbollah spat Responses: 25 U.S. leaning toward taking part in Durban 2 summit Responses: 31 Akiva Eldar: Netanyahu demand for 'reciprocity' in PA relations is unfair Responses: 13 More Headlines 22:56 Ahmadinejad to attend Durban 2 anti-racism conference 22:46 Egypt to Hezbollah: We'll strike back if you attack us 20:19 U.K. Zionists defend Tesco supermarket chain's anti-Israel hotline 01:45 Iran and European Union agree on formula for nuclear talks 21:28 Russia purchased Israeli drones despite Syria, Iran objections 19:08 Italy Jews aid quake-ravaged towns that sheltered them during Holocaust 10:47 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 17:49 Hezbollah No. 2 says western perception of group has changed 17:51 Israeli tourist stabbed in face by Libyan worker in Sinai 13:14 Gaza boat explodes near Israel Navy vessel 14:31 Peres: Clash between Iran, Sunni Arabs is inevitable 15:55 Kazakhstan: Military hardware bought from Israel flawed 19:44 Serbia to seek extradition of Nazi suspect from U.S. Previous Editions Select Day 13 apr 12 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr 06 apr 05 apr 03 apr 02 apr 01 apr 31 mar

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