Mossad, CIA hatch Egypt's anti-Hezbollah plot

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:11:14 GMT | PressTV

Egypt has been collaborating with Israeli and US intelligence agencies in their latest conspiracy against Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

Citing Philippe Vasset, editor of Intelligence Online daily, Haaretz reported Tuesday that the Egyptian security forces have been operating entirely on the basis of intelligence "provided to them by several foreign intelligence services" in their latest move against the Lebanese movement.

Egypt arrested 49 people last Tuesday, accusing Hezbollah of recruiting the group to stage attacks against tourist areas frequented by foreigners in the country during Israel's devastating 22-day offensive on the Gaza Strip in December 2008.

According to the online biweekly report, Israel's Mossad and the CIA, contributed to the arrest of the people accused of "planning attacks in the country".

Cairo later claimed that the group was also masterminding attacks against Israeli targets in Sinai Peninsula and against targets in the Suez Canal.

Earlier on Monday, the security forces also added espionage to the charges of the detainees and claimed that another group of 13 suspects has been holed up in the Sinai Peninsula.

The officials claimed that the suspects, who had taken shelter in the central Sinai town of al-Nakhl, may either try to escape north into Gaza some 200 km (120 miles) away through secret tunnels or head south to the tourist resorts on the coast.

Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah rejected the allegations in a televised speech on Friday.

"I fully reject and deny all charges that Hezbollah was intending to launch an act of aggression in Egypt or at any other part of the world," Nasrallah said.

He however confirmed that one of the 49 people was a Hezbollah member.

"The brother Sami Shihab is a member of Hezbollah. We do not deny it and we are not ashamed of it ... Sami was providing logistics to help the Palestinian resistance at the Egyptian-Palestinian borders ... all other charges against him are false," Nasrallah (photo above) explained.