Egypt has arrested dozens of Bedouins linked to Hizbullah - SINCE 2005

GERTZ:

The Bedouins were said to have resided in central and eastern Sinai and allegedly were connected to the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip.

Another ..'they'll never work together' story.

Egyptian security sources said Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah ordered the establishment of sleeper cells in Egypt as Israel prepared to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

Looks as if even Sharon badly misjudged this entire mess.

The sources said the Hizbullah network contained more than 100 people, located in such cities as Alexandria, Cairo and El Arish. AP/Ben Curtis

The sources said Hizbullah, directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, intended to use Cairo as well as the Sinai Peninsula to transfer funds, weapons, instructions and recruits to the Gaza Strip.

"Iran and Iran's followers want Egypt to become a maid of honor for the crowned Iranian queen when she enters the Middle East," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Al Gheit said.

You mean they weren't just enforcing the law so that international chaos and war would be avoided?

The sources said details of the Hizbullah network have been provided by Sami Shihab, identified as a cell chief and captured in April 2009. Shihab, a Lebanese national whose real name is Mustafa Mohammed Yusef Mansour, was said to have told Egyptian interrogators that Hizbullah had prepared a series of attacks on Israeli and other foreign targets in Sinai.

Gee, any guesses who "other" means? Maybe Thais?

"Elements of the cell monitored tourist sites in [Sinai's] Taba, Sharm e-Sheikh, Dahab and Nueiba to conduct operations against Israeli tourists and visitors," Shihab was quoted as telling interrogators. "They monitored Israeli ships moving through the Suez Canal."

The sources said a Hizbullah commander, Mohammed Qublan, was assigned the mission to establish a network in Egypt in 2005. They said Qublan visited Cairo and transferred funds to Egyptian and Palestinian recruits.

The sources said many of the Bedouins were arms and drug smugglers with connections in Israel. They said the Bedouins were ordered to recruit their relatives in Israel to the Hizbullah cell to facilitate smuggling and mass-casualty attacks.

You mean it's not really about the 'occupation' ? I can hardly believe it !

The Hizbullah network in Egypt was used to facilitate the flow of fighters, weapons and ammunition from Africa to the Gaza Strip.

The sources said the network intensified activity in February 2008 in wake of the assassination of Hizbullah operational chief Imad Mughniyeh, a killing blamed on Israel.

In addition, the sources said, Hizbullah planned three at least attacks on Israeli targets.

Hizbullah was said to have planned at least three attacks against Egypt and Israel. One plot stipulated a huge suicide bombing in Tel Aviv meant to result in scores of casualties.

Another plot was to identify and attack an Israeli or U.S. ship in the Suez Canal.

A third target was Israeli vacationers in the southern Sinai.

"This is the tip of the iceberg," the source said. "We are sure that we will uncover additional plots as additional terrorists are captured."

I wonder how Egypt will question them? With Honeyed Chicken and Rice Pilaf and soft walls meant to make a loud noise if you hit it, while preventing whiplash?

"The [Hizbullah] supreme leadership ordered Hizbullah not to stage operations in Egypt, rather within Israel," Shihab was quoted as saying. "The operations have been already approved."

At first, Shihab said, Hizbullah planned to attack Israeli interests in Egypt. He said Hizbullah sent operatives on forged passports to collect intelligence on a range of Israeli targets.

Another Hizbullah operative, Nasser Abu Umra, was said to have confessed to acquiring and concealing suicide explosive belts. Abu Umra was also said to have purchased a house in the divided city of Rafah to store weapons.

"This serious case, which affects the national security of Egypt and its national sovereignty, calls for zero tolerance and the protection of the state within a legal framework," Egyptian Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mufid Shehab told parliament on April 14.

The sources said the Hizbullah network contained more than 100 people, located in such cities as Alexandria, Cairo and El Arish. They said the Sinai network contained at least 25 Hizbullah operatives, believed to have been provided haven by Bedouins in the central part of the peninsula.

"The Central Committee of Hizbullah approved this, and Hizbullah sent Lebanese and Palestinians to form the network," a security source said.

Bedouin smugglers have been clashing with Egyptian security forces throughout eastern Sinai. On April 13, an Egyptian border guard was shot and killed along the Israeli frontier. At the same time, another shootout was reported between Egyptian forces and Bedouins in central Sinai.

Officials said the Hizbullah network was preparing to intensify weapons smuggling to the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip. They said the network, alleged to have already assembled suicide explosive belts, planned to purchase a boat and bring weapons from Somalia, Sudan and Yemen to Egypt.

"They were observing and locating the tourists groups who repeatedly come to south Sinai resorts and residences paving the way to target them in hostile activities," Shehab, the Egyptian minister, said.