2009 Hezbollah plot in Egypt
The 2009 Hezbollah plot in Egypt involved the arrest of 49 men by Egyptian authorities in the five months preceding April 2009. Egypt accused them of being Hezbollah agents planning attacks against Israeli and Egyptian targets in the Sinai Peninsula.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=101303|title=Egypt's Brotherhood backs Hizbullah in a spat with Cairo|author=Andrew Wander|work=The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon|accessdate=11 July 2015}} The arrests led to tensions between the Egyptian government and Hezbollah, as well as between Egypt and Iran.{{Cite web |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hUErcuTPwqqAVNnXhoqJ_upyxgHA |title=AFP: Egypt summons Iran envoy over Hezbollah spat |access-date=2016-11-10 |archive-date=2009-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428175903/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hUErcuTPwqqAVNnXhoqJ_upyxgHA |url-status=dead }}
Tension had been high since Israel's Gaza War. Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah had accused Egypt of being a partner to the killing of Palestinians there, saying if it did not open the Rafah crossing it would be considered a "partner in the killing of Palestinians by the IDF."{{cite news|title=Nasrallah: Egypt accomplice in 'Gaza crime'|newspaper=Ynetnews|date=28 December 2008|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3646081,00.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204070612/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3646081,00.html|archivedate=2009-02-04|url-status=live|accessdate=2009-06-17 |last1=Nahmias|first1=Roee}}
The plot prompted the Egyptian government to officially designate Hezbollah a "terrorist group".EGYPT: Cairo calls Hezbollah terrorist organization. [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/04/egypt-hizbollah-dismissed-as-terrorist.html LA Times, April 13, 2009]
Activities
In Port Said, a cell was set up to monitor ship activity in the Suez Canal. The cell was to buy a boat as well as set up a fish shop in order to do this.{{cite web|title=The Daily Star - Politics - Egyptian media says Hizbullah cell planned bombings in Taba|author=Wajdi BouKhaled <> |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=101337|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309145543/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=101337|archivedate=2011-03-09|url-status=live|accessdate=2009-06-17 }}
Reports said the men had planned three major bomb attacks in Taba, popular with Israeli tourists, using explosive belts and car bombs.{{cite web|title=Loading...|url=http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=16510|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707173001/http://aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=16510|archivedate=2011-07-07|url-status=live|accessdate=2009-06-17}}
Reaction
=Egyptian=
Egypt's reaction was hostile. President Hosni Mubarak issued a strong statement denouncing the Lebanese group and its supporters. "They [Hezbollah and Iran] aspire to impose their influence on our Arab world by introducing hostile elements into the region, in efforts to threaten Egypt's national security," Mubarak said. He added, "[W]e will uncover their plot; beware of Egypt's wrath."{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080643.html|title=Mubarak to Hezbollah: Beware of Egypt's wrath|author=Haaretz Service|date=23 April 2009|work=Haaretz.com|accessdate=11 July 2015}} In addition, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram claimed that Iran, Syria, and Qatar were working to overthrow the Egyptian government.{{cite web|url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1079210.html|title=Al-Ahram: Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah tried to overthrow Egypt's Mubarak|author=Yoav Stern|date=19 April 2009|work=Haaretz.com|accessdate=11 July 2015}}
=Hezbollah=
Hezbollah said one of the men was indeed one of their operatives, but that he had been trying to smuggle weapons into Gaza for Hamas. The group said the terror plot claims were "fabricated" to "sully Hezbollah’s image" and that the allegations were retaliation for Hezbollah's comments during Operation Cast Lead.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8000427.stm|title=BBC NEWS - Middle East - Hezbollah alleges Egypt vendetta|date=15 April 2009|publisher=|accessdate=11 July 2015}}
=Sudan=
A Sudanese official claimed rebel groups had collaborated with Hezbollah in smuggling weapons to Egypt. He condemned “any sabotage to a country’s sovereignty under any circumstances”.{{cite web|url=http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article30943|title=Sudan says rebels may have assisted Hezbollah in arms smuggling|publisher=|accessdate=11 July 2015|archive-date=12 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712202340/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article30943|url-status=dead}}
Convictions
On April 28, 2010, 26 men were convicted of planning the attacks and given sentences from six months to life imprisonment. Four men were convicted in absentia.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8648493.stm Egypt sentences 'Hezbollah cell'] BBC, April 28, 2010.
Escape
In the midst of the 2011 Egyptian protests, the cell's ringleader and 21 other Hezbollah suspects escaped from the Wadi El Natrun prison north of Cairo. Some later appeared back in Beirut.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=124532#axzz1D0nS3S11|title=Hezbollah man escapes Egypt jail|work=The Daily Star Newspaper - Lebanon|accessdate=11 July 2015}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=35110&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=412&no_cache=1 Hezbollah in Egypt: The Politics of Conspiracy and Resistance - The Jamestown Foundation]
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7996665.stm
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090421180445/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-04/16/content_11196213.htm ]
- http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080643.html
{{Egypt–Israel relations}}
{{Iran–Israel proxy conflict}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hezbollah plot in Egypt}}
Category:Terrorist incidents in Egypt in 2009
Category:Failed terrorist attempts in Asia
Category:Failed terrorist attempts in Africa
Category:Egypt–Israel relations
Category:Iran–Israel proxy conflict
Category:Hezbollah–Israel conflict
Category:Islamic terrorism in Egypt
Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2009