Lahoud receives al-Sahaf

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud on Monday in Beirut received Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf, currently visiting Lebanon. Al-Sahaf conveyed to the Lebanese president a message from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Talks dealt with bilateral relations between the two states and conditions in the region.

Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Nabih Berri has apologized for not meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf under the excuse that he is busy. News reports said that Berri's apology is linked to the assassination of Shiite cleric Ayatollah Muhammad Sadeq al-Sader and his two sons in Iraq.