Egypt charges 26 'Hizbullah spies'

             Egypt's prosecutor general on Sunday officially indicted 26 suspects, including two Lebanese and five Palestinians, on suspicion of spying for Hizbullah, as well as plotting terrorist attacks and aiding Gaza gunmen. Egyptian security officials had been working on the case, now known in the press as "the Hizbullah Cell," since April when they said they uncovered plots Hizbullah plots to destabilize Egypt. Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah at the time rejected the accusations of intending to harm Egypt's security, but did admit to sending an agent to supervise arms shipments to Hamas in Gaza. Prosecutor Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud referred the suspects, who also include a Sudanese, to trial in the State Security Emergency Court, a special tribunal where trials are swift and verdicts cannot be appealed. He also called for the immediate arrest of senior Hezbollah official, Mohammed Qabalan, and three Egyptians who are all still large. A Hezbollah spokesman, contacted by The Associated Press, declined to comment and a Lebanese judicial official said that Lebanese authorities have not yet received any formal Egyptian request for Qabalan's arrest or extradition. (22,09)