Seale confers with Israeli president

Israeli President Ezer Weizman met on Tuesday in occupied Jerusalem with Patrick Seale, the writer of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad's biography. Israeli Army Radio quoted Weizman as saying following the meeting that he will not ask Seale to convey any messages to President al-Assad as he (Weizman) does so through President Mubarak and US President Bill Clinton.

The Arabic-language Israeli radio said on Tuesday that Seale was due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ehud Barak on Tuesday. The radio added that Seale is very close to President al-Assad, adding that Seale denies that he is carrying a message from President al-Assad to the authorities in Israel.