Lebanese President Emile Lahoud (R) greets his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak at Baabda presidential palace February 19. Mubarak made a landmark visit to Beirut on Saturday to demonstrate Egyptian support in the face of Israel's threat that it would bomb more civilian targets in Lebanon. The surprise visit, the first by an Egyptian head of state since Egypt became a republic in 1952, came amid fears that Israeli bombing raids could send violence spiralling and undermine efforts to revive Israeli-Syrian peace talks.

JS/JDP