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Christopher starts delayed talks with Assad

DAMASCUS: U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher opened a delayed meeting with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad on Wednesday on how to put an end to fighting between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Presidential spokesman Joubran Kourieh said Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara was present at the meeting.No exact time was released for Christopher's talks with Assad but officials said the meeting would be held on Wednesday, possibly shortly.

Christopher, trying to arrange a ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas, came to Damascus on Tuesday for talks with Assad and intended to visit Lebanon but returned to Israel without fulfilling his mission.

He put off his Lebanon visit at the advice of the U.S. military for security reasons.

Syrian officials said Assad was unable to meet Christopher due to a meeting with Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Bhutto's arrival in Syria and her meeting with Assad was originally planned for Saturday but she delayed her visit until Tuesday at the request of the Syrian government to allow Assad to see Christopher and the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Russia and Iran for talks on Lebanon.-Reuter