Arab League chief in Beirut to discuss Hezbollah-Egypt row

Arab League Beirut- Arab League chief Amr Mussa arrived in Beirut Saturday to discuss the crisis between Cairo and the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah over an alleged cell linked to the group working to destabilize Egypt, a government source said. Mussa met with President Michel Suleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, the source said.

Mussa said after meeting Seniora that he was following up the Lebanese elections, due on June 7, and "the issue of the alleged Hezbollah cell arrested in Egypt."

Earlier this month, Egypt announced that a cell of 49 men with links to Hezbollah were planning attacks aimed at destabilizing the country.

According to the Egyptian authorities the alleged agents were also observing and locating the Israeli tourist groups who repeatedly come to south Sinai resorts and residences paving the way to target them with violence.

Last week, Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, rejected the accusations of planning attacks in Egypt but confirmed the group had dispatched a member to Egypt in an effort to aid the Palestinian movement Hamas during the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

On April 25, the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted Egyptian judicial sources as saying that the upcoming 7- to 25-year imprisonment verdicts against 49 alleged Hezbollah cell member will not be subject to appeal.

The newspaper said that the case could be referred either to a military or emergency court, adding that any ruling by either two courts won't be subject to appeal.

The verdict will be issued against 49 people, 24 of them in absentia.

The Egyptian prosecution is currently getting more information on key Hezbollah suspect Mohammed Qabalan pending a decision to ask Lebanon to hand him over to Egypt or bring him to trial.(dpa)

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