The Hizbullah cell case will be referred to the Egyptian state security court amid repots that senior Lebanese and Arab officials, including Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri, are making mediation efforts to resolve the crisis between the Shiite movement and Cairo. Al-Hayat newspaper said Saturday that the case will be referred to the state security court within days.
Egypt's public prosecutor announced last week that a security investigation had found that a cell of 49 members, headed by Lebanese Sami Shehab, had been planning "hostile operations" in Egypt at the behest of Hizbullah.
Asked about the results of his efforts, Berri said: "Things are positive. This does not mean that the problem is over. We will continue our efforts to see where they would lead us to." Berri refused to give more details, saying "there are messages between me and the Egyptian officials and we hope for the best."
He said Saturday that Hizbullah is keen on Lebanese and Egyptian interests, stressing that the resistance would never plan for attacks in Egypt. "We guarantee and stress that the resistance in Lebanon is keen on the nation's national security. It forms one of the nation's defense lines," Berri said
However, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hussam Zaki said Cairo will not accept political settlements in the Hizbullah cell case. "Settlements are for political issues. This is a judicial and security issue," he stressed, adding that the public prosecutor has the authority in the case and is dealing with investigation results.
