LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 12/09

Happy Easter. Peace & Peace all what the world needs!

Bible Reading of the day.
Matthew 28/1-10: Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 28:2 Behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from the sky, and came and rolled away the stone from the door, and sat on it. 28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 28:4 For fear of him, the guards shook, and became like dead men. 28:5 The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. 28:6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying. 28:7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” 28:8 They departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his disciples word. 28:9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!”  They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Home truths about Gaza-Jerusalem Post 11/04/09
We can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture in Sudan-By Shlomo Ben-Ami  11/04/09
Palpable relief - for now - over Washington's new policy toward Iran-The Daily Star  11/04/09

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for April 11/09
Egyptian police kill Bedouin tribesman in shootout-Reuters
Raad: We Will Renew Berri's Term after Polls-Naharnet
Makari among March 14 Contenders in Koura-Naharnet
Sfeir Urges Citizens to vote in Elections in the Best Interest of Lebanon-Naharnet
Belonging Movement Accuses Hizbullah of Attacking Party Officials-Naharnet
Egyptian Sources Respond to Nasrallah's Address-Naharnet
Nasrallah says Egypt holding Hezbollah member-Reuters
Nasrallah confirms Egypt holding Hizbullah member-Daily Star
Egyptian paper: Nasrallah is an Iranian agent and a Dracula-Ha'aretz
Egypt: Major Hezbollah attack in Sinai thwarted-Ha'aretz
LOG head accuses Hizbullah of attacking his party-Daily Star
Hizbullah-Hit Americans Sue North Korea-Naharnet
3 Arrested in Hudida Accused of Yemeni Hezbollah Propagation-Yemen Post
Aoun: No One From Parliamentary Majority Should Be Returned to Parliament-Naharnet
Miqdad Case, Brother Killed Brother And Planned Khansa Kidnapping-Naharnet
Poland to withdraw form UN's UNIFIL mission in Lebanon-Xinhua
Berri warns state cannot be strong without unity-Daily Star
Arab detente raises hopes for smooth vote-Daily Star
Head of Tribunal defense team to arrive in Beirut - media report-Daily Star
Kesrouan seen as litmus test of Aoun's strength-Daily Star
220 Spanish peacekeepers set to arrive in Beirut-Daily Star
Israeli military violates Lebanese sovereignty-Daily Star
Nasrallah to meet Jumblatt when time is ripe-Daily Star
Religious leaders urge Lebanese to think of country' interests during polls-Daily Star
Alleged Lebanese-Canadian bomber to hear new bail terms-Daily Star
EU donates 7 million euros for demining efforts-Daily Star
Italy to 'adopt' three villages in Akkar region-Daily Star
Kidnapping probe links suspect to two murder cases-Daily Star
Consumer group seeks new rules on generic drugs in Lebanon-Daily Star
Moody's upgrade highlights Lebanon's unique credit trend-Daily Star

Egyptian Sources Respond to Nasrallah's Address
Naharnet/Following Friday's televised address by Hizbullah's Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in which he responded to Egyptian charges made against him and the party of giving his green light to assassination attacks in his January speech on the occasion of Ashoura. "Nasrallah's confession and the language he used indicate that Hizbullah wants to merge Egypt and the region with the Lebanese resistance with the Palestinians under complex international circumstances, only to benefit Iranian interests that seek to occupy the world , while diligently working on their nuclear program." An Informed Egyptian source told the daily Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday. The source added that Nasrallah wishes to "drag Egypt into this situation. He allowed his elements to enter [Egypt] for devious purposes, wanting to turn Egypt into a playground like Lebanon.[Egypt] is not a playground for others to play at." The Director of the al-Ahram Center for Strategic and Political Studies Dr. Abdel Mone'm Saeed described the televised speech as "rude", adding the the Hizbullah leader "should pay for what he says and does, his responsibility over the Palestinians and Gaza does not exceed that of Egypt."Saeed described the presence of the main defendant in the case Sami Shehab as curious adding: "[Nasrallah's] confession that the main defendant in the case is a Hizbullah party member means that the party wanted to target the Suez Canal. This means he has a cell in Egypt under the guise of struggling [against Israel] and not an intervention in Egyptian internal affairs. He wanted to strike against U.S. ships passing through the canal, or strike against Jews in Egypt and adds that this is only a struggle and not an intervention into Egyptian affairs."

"If this is not an intervention then what is?" asked Saeed.
Naharnet/He accused Nasrallah of working with the Iranian [regime] to isolate Egypt. Saeed said that the Egyptian government is working on building a Palestinian government of consensus that would open all crossings adding, "Egypt won't allow chaos on the Rafah crossing [into Egypt]."
In another development, the 'Egyptian Front For the Defense of Arab Dignity' submitted a request to Egypt's Public Prosecutor Abdel Meguid Mahmoud calling for placing an international arrest warrant by Interpol against Nasrallah for "intervening in the country's internal affairs and endangering the lives of Egyptians."
"This request is made because [Nasrallah] is the one behind the formation of a group that sought to topple Egypt's regime, practice terrorism and conspire against Egyptians," Front leader Samir Shishtawi said. Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 08:52

Raad: We Will Renew Berri's Term after Polls
Naharnet/Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc will renew Nabih Berri's term as speaker following the June 7 elections, said the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc on Saturday. "We will renew the term of Speaker Nabih Berri's in Parliament following the elections because he carries the agenda of the resistance and (supports) the establishment of a just and capable state," MP Mohammed Raad told a political gathering in the town of Shoukeen. "The others want to take over Parliament with a majority that will topple the assembly's presidency and (elect) a speaker who supports its agenda," he said. A speaker chosen by the majority will only serve the interests of foreign powers and benefit "the agenda of aggressors, who are lurking around to harm this country," Raad warned.  Raad denied reports the minority was facing a deadlock over the formation of electoral lists in some districts."We are in complete agreement and will announce our tickets when the time is right," he said.
"We will enter the electoral battle with a unified goal because we are determined to win the parliamentary majority which will advocate our agenda in full," Raad added.
He pointed to an understanding among minority members under which they "have the right to maneuver and choose (their) tactics and candidates whenever suitable."
On relations between Hizbullah and Amal Movement, Raad said the two groups are "bound by an agreement and an alliance, despite having divergent opinions over some parliamentary positions."Any disagreement "was being resolved in the spirit of ensuring the agreement is carried out in full. At the moment, 95 percent of the accord has been completed, Raad added. Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 17:31

Makari among March 14 Contenders in Koura
Naharnet/Deputy Parliament Speaker Farid Makari announced Saturday March 14's list of candidates for the Koura district. In addition to Makari, the "Koura Decision List" includes MPs Farid Habib and Nicolas Ghosn, the deputy speaker told a gathering in Kfar Hazir. The March 14 decision to rename the three deputies "does not mean that we oppose change," Makari said. "On the contrary, our choice of candidates is an expression of our desire to be part of the change that restored Lebanon's sovereignty and independence. It is the change that revived political life in Lebanon and released liberties from the grip of tutelage," he added. "We were part of the change that was caused by the Cedar Revolution," Makari told his audience. He said March 14 will strive to "safeguard" education and cultural projects in Koura. "The Lebanese are convinced that the elections are fateful and that their votes will prevent Lebanon from returning to the state of chaos and uncertainty," he said.
Makari urged voters in Koura to choose candidates who best "represent their beliefs," adding that the list opposes foreign "tutelage." Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 18:42

Aoun: No One From Parliamentary Majority Should Be Returned to Parliament
Naharnet/Reform and Change parliamentary bloc leader MP Michel Aoun said: "No one from the parliamentary majority should be returned to parliament."
In a televised press conference on Saturday, Aoun spoke to a students delegation addressing the economy issue saying: "Economic matters are not that encouraging and this affects the future of young people." He went on to add that he [smelled a bad stench] that the parliamentary majority and those with power are trying to place their hands over state institutions as was previously done in Beirut. "When a thief become a charity provider [remember] that the mafia godfather always sits at the church's front pews, he donates $1 million while robbing us of $1 billion," Aoun said. The Free patriotic Movement leader pointed to his political rival al-Mustaqbal Movement's election slogan that read: 'The future is where you spend the rest of your life' saying: "I like this slogan, it reminds me of a home for the aged."
He ended by expressing his hope of Lebanon's resurrection would come to take the country from one stage to another and remove the after effects of the economic and developmental crisis.Aoun later announced his candidates' list for the Shouf and Aley regions that includes Zaher al-Khateeb, Mario Aoun, Nassif Qazi, Antoine Boustani, Abdou Munthir and Bahaa Abdel Khaleq. Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 11:54

Various Parties to Issue Candidates List Soon
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun is to announce his party's candidate list for the Aley and Shouf region on Saturday.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Farid Mekari is to announce his list for the Koura region, while MP Butros Harb is getting ready to declare his list with Mp Antoine Zahra in the Batroun next Saturday. MP Michel Murr is to declare his list following Easter Sunday [past April 20th].
The Phalange Central Committee Coordinator Sami Gemayel was quoted saying by the daily An-Nahar that the Metn list is 99% ready. The list is known to include Gemayel, Michel Murr, Nasib Lahoud, Elie Karame, Eddy Abi Lameh, Sarkis Sarkis, Elias Mukhaiber. The Armenian candidate for the Orthodox seat in the Metn was won uncontested by Hagop Pakradounian. Gemayel said that none of the candidates has withdrawn from the race.
"There are no differences of opinion between the Lebanese Forces and us or with other allies among the March 14 Forces," Gemayel said.
He added that the formation of lists for the Keserouan and Jebeil regions would need sometime, "not due to the lack of consensus among March 14 Forces, but because this has to do with some independent and local figures. The issue might take a week… what is important is the fact that discussions are underway."
Gemayel pointed that for the Shouf, Aley, Batroun and Ashrafieh regions March 14 Forces lists are ready. Informed March 14 Forces told An-Nahar that support among local families in Keserouan is growing as the Lebanese Forces and the Phalange Party have both supported National Bloc Party leader Carlos Edde. As for the Jebeil region sources said that supporters of President Michel Suleiman are cautious, as the president is keen on distancing himself away from the parliamentary race.
Sources added that March 14 Forces are engaging their political machinery in the Shouf, Aley and Baabda and seem not depend on winning any uncontested seats in Aley that could later carry a high political cost. Sources from the March 8 Forces confirmed that former Parliament Speaker Hussein al Husseini has been informed by Hizbullah that he won't be on the party's list at the Northern Bekka. Former MP Assem Qansou could replace Husseini.  The daily Ad-Diyar said on Saturday that Husseini refused to join the March 8 Forces list in the Hirmil-Baalbek region because the list did not include Albert Mansour.
The daily al-Akhbar said that Shiite seat in the Baalbek-Hirmil region would possibly go to a Baath party candidate, or could be reverted to a possible settlement between Speaker Berri and MP Aoun regarding Jizzine-Baabda. Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah explained in a televised message on Friday that the understanding with Speaker Berri and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun remains except for the Jizzine and Baabda regions. Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 09:53

Miqdad Case, Brother Killed Brother And Planned Khansa Kidnapping
Naharnet/In special information to the daily An-Nahar on Saturday, the brains behind the kidnapping of the boy Amin al-Khansa is Abdel Nasser al-Miqdad.
Miqdad was found with the kidnapped boy when police charged the Aley apartment where Khansa was being held. He is the brother of the two slain Miqdad brothers Ghassan and Muhammed Kheir. Police believe that Abdel Nasser killed his brother Muhammed Kheir for financial reasons. Abdel Nasser's partner Khaled Shikhou later killed Ghassan, a Middle East Airlines pilot, for uncovering the facts behind the killing of his brother Muhammed. Both Abdel Nasser and Shikhou in cooperation with a third partner Ibrahim al-Ahmad worked on kidnapping Khansa for money. Earlier Investigation carried out by Lebanese army intelligence into the kidnapping of 14-year-old Amin Khansa led to identifying the killers of the Miqdad brothers. Last February the bullet-riddled body of a Middle East Airlines pilot was found in his car in Beirut's Ouzai neighborhood. MEA captain Ghassan Hassan Miqdad, 55, was found shot in the head in his Nissan Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), NNA said.
It said Miqdad's brother, Mohammed, was shot dead early December in the same area. Ghassan Miqdad's house was also robbed almost two weeks ago.
Family friends told Agence France Presse the pilot was not married and lived in the Ouzai area. His death came almost one week after the kidnapping of a MEA employee. Middle East Airlines Chairman Mohammed al-Hout said information reveals that Miqdad's murder was personal in nature.
The pilot's killing and the kidnapping of Joseph Sader do not target MEA, he stressed. Media reports at the time said that Sader who was kidnapped near Beirut airport last week was in the custody of the Lebanese Army's intelligence directorate despite denial by the military command. Sader was allegedly kidnapped by three unidentified assailants.On Friday, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for the immediate release of Sader adding that he is willing to accept all moral and material costs for the sake of regaining Sader's freedom. Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 10:19

Hizbullah-Hit Americans Sue North Korea
Naharnet/U.S. citizens in Israel injured by Hizbullah rockets on Friday sued North Korea seeking more than 100 million dollars, saying the communist state assisted the Lebanese Shiite group. Hizbullah in 2006 fired thousands of missiles into northern Israel, which launched a deadly month-long offensive against its northern neighbor.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, 30 Americans who said they were injured in the rocket attacks accused North Korea of helping Hizbullah build underground bunkers to safely store their Katyusha rockets. "As a facilitator of the Hizbullah rockets, North Korea is financially liable to all those Americans injured by the terrorists," lawyer Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said in a statement. "The lawsuit aims to secure a measure of justice for the victims and teach North Korea that it cannot continue to support Hizbullah with impunity," she said. Darshan-Leitner is well known for filing lawsuits against Islamic militant groups that have targeted Israelis or Jews. The lawsuit on North Korea cites as its source for the allegations a paper by the Congressional Research Service, a government-funded think tank that provides briefings to members of Congress. North Korea, one of the world's poorest nations, is believed to rely on arms sales overseas as a key moneymaker. Some experts say the communist state went ahead with its defiant April 5 long-range rocket launch in hopes of exporting the technology to the Middle East.
An Israeli air raid in 2007 destroyed a facility in Syria -- a key Hizbullah backer --, which the United States said was a secret nuclear reactor built with North Korea's help. Both Damascus and Pyongyang denied the allegations. However, the United States last year removed North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, saying it was not involved in terrorism in the previous six months. The step came amid a U.S.-led drive to provide North Korea incentives to end its nuclear program.(AFP) Beirut, 11 Apr 09, 08:07

Sfeir Urges Citizens to vote in Elections in the Best Interest of Lebanon
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir urged the Lebanese in his Easter message on Friday to vote freely away from "temptations" and put the interest of their nation above all considerations. The Lebanese should cast their votes on June 7 "without succumbing to temptations. They should put the nation's interests before their own interests" and think about their children and future generations, he said. Sfeir also urged the Lebanese to vote with free conscience, stressing that "those who buy you, sell you." The patriarch called on citizens to be in harmony, saying let your "yes be yes, and your no be no." On Sunday, President Michel Suleiman will attend mass in Bkirki and will later meet with Sfeir. Beirut, 10 Apr 09, 09:24

Belonging Movement Accuses Hizbullah of Attacking Party Officials
Naharnet/Ahmed Asaad's Belonging Movement on Friday accused Hizbullah of attacking party officials and members. At a press conference on Friday, Asaad accused Hizbullah of "burning down cars of party partisans." Asaad said the latest act was the burning down of a vehicle belonging to party official, Ahmed Hijazi, following the announcement on Wednesday of the group's electoral candidates. On the same day, Belonging Movement official Akil Hussein was also kidnapped for two hours, Asaad said. "We have also witnessed all sort of intimidation acts in various regions," he added. "These acts are no longer tolerated," Asaad warned. "Lebanese officials should be honest with Lebanese citizens, particularly with the Shiites, as to whether we are living in a state or a forest?" Asaad concluded.
Beirut, 10 Apr 09, 14:58

Nasrallah says Egypt holding Hezbollah member
Fri Apr 10, 2009 BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hezbollah said Friday the Egyptian authorities had arrested a member of the group who was offering logistical help to Palestinians in Gaza, but denied allegations that it was planning attacks in Egypt. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the Hezbollah member, Sami Chehab, had been working "to move military equipment and members to help the resistance" in Gaza.
Egypt's public prosecutor this week said it was investigating accusations that Hezbollah had recruited a 49-member cell with the aim of striking inside Egypt.
"The number of brothers who cooperated with Sami is not more than 10," Nasrallah said in a televised address

Nasrallah confirms Egypt holding Hizbullah member
Resistance chief denies plot to attack country
By Therese Sfeir
Daily Star staff
Saturday, April 11, 2009
BEIRUT: Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that his party did not have branches in Arab countries or anywhere else in the world. In a television appearance on Al-Manar TV, Nasrallah denied accusations launched by Egyptian authorities that party members were planning to launch attacks in Egypt.
He also urged Arab leaders not to be misled by claims aimed at stirring conflicts between Hizbullah and Arab states and to verify all information they receive from the media. Nasrallah noted that on November 19, 2008, one month before the Israeli war on Gaza, the Egyptian authorities announced the detention of a Lebanese citizen, who was a Hizbullah member, accusing him and others of attempting to smuggle arms and equipment into Gaza.
He added that one month after the Israeli war, a huge campaign was launched against Hizbullah, due to the party's position regarding resistance.
"Brother Sami is a member of Hizbullah, and what he was doing on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders was a logistic mission to transport arms and equipment to the Palestinian lands; all other accusations are false and full of imagination and bluffs," he said.
"If helping the Palestinians whose land is seized and who are being killed and besieged is an accusation, then I thereby declare that I am guilty of this accusation," he added. He noted that the lawyers of those detained in custody were prevented from attending the interrogation sessions.
Nasrallah said the Egyptians were trying to present new gifts to the Israelis and the Americans, adding that Cairo's accusations were aimed at provoking the Egyptian people and distorting Hizbullah's clean image.
Nasrallah stressed that Hizbullah did not have any plans whatsoever to attack Arab states, adding that the party's only goal was to "liberate the Lebanese territories and protect Lebanon from Israeli threats."
"Hizbullah does not want to engage in a conflict with any Arab or foreign state; we are a humble Lebanese party and do not have branches in any other country," he said. He also ruled out claims that the party was trying to spread the Shiite ideology around the world.
Egypt's public prosecutor ordered on Thursday that 49 people held for plotting attacks on behalf of Lebanese Shiite group Hizbullah be kept in custody for a further 15 days, a judicial source said.
"The public prosecutor decided to detain the members of the group affiliated with Hizbullah for 15 days for questioning on suspicion of membership in a clandestine organisation calling for rebellion" against the country's leadership, the source said.
On Wednesday, a statement from the prosecutor said an investigation determined the men had been commissioned by Nasrallah to conduct attacks in Egypt.
Arrests were first made in November and the rest of the group were rounded up by the end of last month, a security official said.
On Thursday, state media reported that one of those arrested, Sami Hani Shihab, was suspected of heading a Hizbullah unit responsible for neighboring states and that Palestinians and Sudanese were among those arrested.
The suspects are also accused of espionage, forging official documents and preparing explosives.
The detention may be renewed every 15 days for six months, when the prosecution must either charge them or release them.
Montassar el-Zayat, a lawyer for some of the defendants, said Shihab's brother had asked him to represent him but he had not been allowed to see him or attend interrogations. Zayat accused security of bringing politically motivated charges against the suspects.
"My impression is that it is a fabricated case created by Egyptian security in the context of bad relations between Hizbullah and Egypt. It is a pressure card," he said.
Touching on Lebanese affairs, Nasrallah denied claims that if the opposition won the majority, it would overthrow President Michel Sleiman to elect Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun. "We and the FPM have elected President Sleiman by our free and full will, and we have good and confident relations with him since he was an army commander. Some malicious politicians and journalists will not disrupt this relationship," he stated. - With AFP

Nasrallah: Hezbollah running guns to Gaza through Egypt
By Haaretz Service
10/04/2009 t
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday said Egypt was holding a member of the Lebanese Shi'ite militia who was in Egypt 'working to help the resistance of Palestine".
Nasrallah said the Hezbollah member had been working "to move military equipment and members to help the resistance" in Gaza.
During the live television address, Nasrallah denied accusations that Hezbollah is trying to harm Egyptian security or is planning attacks on Egyptian targets, saying such claims "are meant to sully the image of Hezbollah among the Egyptian people."
Nasrallah portrayed Hezbollah's actions as meant solely to aid the Palestinian people, saying "if helping our occupied, battered, and hungry Palestinian brothers is a crime, than I confess to this crime."
The Hezbollah leader also referred to Israel's new government saying that the Likud-led coalition "presents a new threat to all the nations of the region."
Nasrallah's statements came after Egyptian security officials announced on Tuesday that a Hezbollah underground organization had been uncovered, later remanding the suspects in custody for a further 15 days. It has not yet been confirmed if the man Nasrallah was speaking of Friday is among the 15 men in question.
Legal sources in Egypt said the group had received orders to operate in a televised address by Hezbollah chief Nasrallah.
According to the Egyptian authorities, the accused were ordered to rent homes overlooking the Suez Canal, as well as tourist sites in Sinai.
The Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, considered the mouthpiece of the regime, reported that among the arrested were two employees of an Iranian television station that has offices in Cairo.
According to the reports, the first attacks were to be carried out following a "code" that Nasrallah would issue on a day in December, which happened to coincide with Operation Cast Lead.
Also on Friday, an Egyptian newspaper editor-in-chief dubbed Nasrallah an "Iranian agent, funeral profiteer, and even Dracula," Army Radio reported.
In an editorial published in the Egyptian daily El Gomhoria on Friday, Ali Ibrahim wrote that "Nasrallah is worse than Israel since he is trying to hurt the livelihood of the same Egyptians who supported him during the Second Lebanon War."
"The Zionists want to annihilate us because we threaten their survival, while you aim to kill us in the name of Islam, God's curse on you," Ibrahim also wrote.
The editorial comes after the Egyptian authorities announced on Tuesday that a Hezbollah underground organization had been uncovered, later remanding the suspects in custody for a further 15 days. It has not yet been confirmed if the man Nasrallah was speaking of Friday is among the 15 men in question.
Legal sources in Egypt said the group had received orders to operate in a televised address by Hezbollah chief Nasrallah.
According to the Egyptian authorities, the accused were ordered to rent homes overlooking the Suez Canal, as well as tourist sites in Sinai.
The Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, considered the mouthpiece of the regime, reported that among the arrested were two employees of an Iranian television station that has offices in Cairo.
According to the reports, the first attacks were to be carried out following a "code" that Nasrallah would issue on a day in December, which happened to coincide with Operation Cast Lead.

'Iran behind Hezbollah bid to strike Egypt targets'
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
10/04/2009
Iran was behind the planning of terror attacks against targets in Egypt by Hezbollah operatives, the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram quoted a senior official in Cairo as saying Thursday.
Two employees of an Iranian satellite TV channel planned the attacks, the paper said, which were meant to be carried out simultaneously at a number of locations across the country.
According to Al-Ahram, the code-name for the attacks was mentioned in the last speech delivered by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The report came after Egypt's attorney general announced Wednesday that 49 agents of the Lebanese militant group had been arrested on suspicion of carrying out hostile operations.
The government statement said that the men were looking to destabilize Egypt's general security.
The pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat, meanwhile, reported Thursday that Egypt also suspects three of the men it arrested of attempting to smuggle arms from Sudan to Hamas in Gaza via its territory.
Foreign news outlets reported last month that the Israel Air Force carried out an air strike in Sudan on a convoy of Iranian arms en route to the Gaza Strip.
The paper named one of the three detainees as Lebanese national Sami Shihab, whom it said was responsible for enlisting dozens of Egyptians in espionage activities for Hezbollah. Al-Hayat said the other two were Palestinians who lived in Lebanon.
'Hezbollah told agents to gather intel on Sinai tourist sites'
According to the Egyptian government statement released Wednesday, the men had been assigned by Hezbollah to observe and collect intelligence from the villages along the Egypt-Gaza border, tourist sites in the Sinai, and the Suez Canal.
They had also been provided explosives and training on how to use them.
"The public prosecutor received a note from state security about information confirmed by questioning about Hezbollah leaders sending some elements to the county to attract members to work with the organization and persuade them to join its ranks ... with the aim of carrying out acts of aggression inside the country," the government statement said.
It gave no details of any possible attacks. But the announcement came as the Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the Prime Minister's Office said Tuesday it had "grave and immediate" intelligence concerning Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza Strip who are operating in Sinai under Hezbollah direction and sponsorship and seek to abduct Israelis vacationing in the area during Pesach.
A lawyer for the group said on Tuesday Egyptian authorities had been questioning the group since Saturday and had accused its members of helping Hezbollah send money and aid to the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
Diaa Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on Islamist movements in Cairo called the attorney general's allegations dangerous and suggested they were motivated primarily by political considerations.
"Hezbollah doesn't have activities outside Lebanon, and if it has, it comes in support of group ... but it has no outside military activities," he said.
Tensions have been high between Egypt and Hezbollah since the militant group criticized Egypt for not doing more to stop Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Report: Egypt arrests 7 Israeli Arabs for spying for Hamas, Hezbollah
08/04/2009
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press
A prominent Islamist lawyer has told the Arabic news channel Al-Jazeera that security forces have detained about 50 Egyptians, Palestinians and Lebanese for alleged ties to the Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas
militant groups.
Israel Radio reported on Tuesday that among the Palestinians are seven Israeli Arabs.
Montasser el-Zayat, known for representing Islamist militants in court, said Tuesday that the detainees are suspected of supplying Hamas with money and one Lebanese in particular is suspected of acting as liaison between Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza.
The Interior Ministry would neither confirm nor deny the arrests.
Egypt is very sensitive about the presence of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on its border and has several times arrested suspected fundraisers for the militants

Egypt: Major Hezbollah attack in Sinai thwarted
By Yoav Stern and Avi Issacharoff
09/04/09
Egypt is holding 49 nationals of various Arab countries on suspicion of being members of a terrorist network on behalf of Hezbollah. The accused have allegedly planned to carry out attacks inside Egypt, including tourist sites frequented by Israelis.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian authorities announced that an underground organization had been uncovered; yesterday they remanded the suspects in custody for a further 15 days. Legal sources in Egypt said the group had received orders to operate in a televised address by Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Advertisement
Most of those arrested are Egyptians; however, among them are Palestinians, Sudanese, Syrians and at least one Lebanese national. The suspects were allegedly trained abroad to use explosives and entered Egypt with forged documents.
According to the Egyptian authorities, the accused were ordered to rent homes overlooking the Suez Canal, as well as tourist sites in Sinai.
One of the key suspects is Sami Shihab, a Lebanese national whom the daily Al-Hayat says had smuggled arms into the Gaza Strip with two Palestinians. The paper says they received arms with the help of the Sudanese and passed them on to Gaza via Bedouin in Sinai.
The Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, considered a mouthpiece of the regime, reported that among the arrested are two employees of an Iranian television station that has offices in Cairo.
If the initial conclusions of the Egyptian investigation are correct, the ring had planned its operations in the country's periphery: the border with Sudan, the canal area, Sinai and along the border with the Gaza Strip. The group was aiming to embarrass the Egyptian security forces and make them think local opposition forces were behind the attacks.
According to the reports, the first attacks were to be carried out following a "code" that Nasrallah would issue on a day in December, which happened to coincide with Operation Cast Lead.
During his speech, Nasrallah called on Egyptian army officers and the public to demonstrate against the regime. The next day the operatives were supposed to carry out the attacks, but they had already been arrested.
"Hezbollah did not know about the arrests," and Egyptian security source was quoted as saying in Al-Ahram.
In an address this evening, Nasrallah is expected to respond to the charges being leveled at him and Hezbollah by Egypt.
"Nasrallah will put things right," read a statement yesterday on Hezbollah's television station, Al-Manar.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday when the news broke in Egypt, Egyptian attorney Muntaser al-Ziyat appeared on Al-Jazeera television and said he had been hired to represent the suspects. He had not been allowed to meet his clients, he added.
Palestinian security sources told Haaretz that Hezbollah operatives had been active in Egypt for some time. They said Hezbollah had tried to recruit a senior Fatah figure in the West Bank, and representatives of the Shi'ite group met him in Cairo.
"Hezbollah continues to operate on behalf of Iran, recruiting agents and activists everywhere possible in the Arab states. The Shi'ite group is helping Hamas in every way possible and is trying to undermine the stability of Sunni regimes in Egypt and Jordan," the source said.

American Victims of Hezbollah Rockets Sue North Korea in D.C. Court
WASHINGTON, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirty American victims of Hezbollah terror attacks have filed an unprecedented civil action in the United States District Court for Washington, DC against the government of North Korea. The suit, Kaplan v. North Korea (09-Civ.-0646), requests more than a $100 million in compensatory damages and an unspecified sum of punitive damages. The complaint also names Hezbollah as a defendant.
The plaintiffs, who were injured by rockets fired into northern Israel by Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, allege that North Korea assisted the Lebanese terrorist organization by providing military training to senior Hezbollah leaders and by building networks of underground bunkers to store Katyusha rocket launchers in South Lebanon. The North Korean bunkers enabled Hezbollah to carry out the thousands of missile attacks which rained on Israeli cities between July 12 and August 14, 2006 from below ground even as Israeli air force jets hunted and sought to destroy the launchers. Forty three Israeli citizens were killed and more than 4,000 were injured by Hezbollah rockets.
This is the first lawsuit brought by Hezbollah victims against the government of North Korea for its provision of material support to the terrorist group.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Robert J. Tolchin and Nathan Tarnor of New York City, and Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Tel-Aviv.
In their court papers the plaintiffs cite a May 8, 2008 Congressional memorandum prepared for the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee which describes one of the North Korean built facilities as "a 25 kilometer underground tunnel that Hezbollah used to move troops. Hezbollah's underground facilities significantly improved Hezbollah's ability to fight the Israelis during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war."
Attorney Darshan-Leitner states that: "North Korea has become a major player in providing support and material resources to Middle East terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah. It was North Korea which trained Hezbollah's leadership and built the underground bunkers that permitted the terrorists to evade Israeli jets during the Second Lebanese War and to continue their rocket attacks targeting civilians. As a facilitator of the Hezbollah rockets, North Korea is financially liable to all those Americans injured by the terrorists. The lawsuit aims to secure a measure of justice for the terror victims and teach North Korea that it cannot continue to support Hezbollah with impunity."
A copy of the complaint is available here:
https://secure.filesanywhere.com/v.asp?v=%89md%8BYgtx%AF%99
Please contact: Nitsana Darshan-Leitner: 212-591-0073, nitsanad@zahav.net.il.
SOURCE Nitsana Darshan-Leitner