Cairo protests on Israeli rumors concerning al-Assad's health conditions

Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa on Wednesday protested to the Israeli embassy in Cairo over the "mistaken news" on admitting the Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to the hospital, attributed by Israeli television as being quoted by Egyptian sources.

Moussa told reporters in Cairo on Wednesday that, "The Foreign Ministry has summoned on Wednesday the Israeli press attache and formally told him Egypt's opposition of this way of dealing."

Moussa added this is "but part of a deception campaign, that we hoped that it had not happened, because no comments have been made by any Egyptian official on the health conditions of the Syrian president."

Moussa continued that he was "that last Egyptian official to meet with President al-Assad last Saturday and he (al-Assad) was then in a good health condition, thereby the whole matter is totally fabricated, it is also an attempt to create disputes between Damascus and Cairo. Therefore this matter is totally rejected by Egypt."

On Tuesday night, Channel 2 of the Israeli television interrupted its programs to announce that Syrian President Hafez al-Assad was admitted to hospital due to heart problems. The television report attributed its information to "well-informed Egyptian sources in Cairo which have close relations with the Syrian officials."