Exiled Hamas chief to meet Lebanese leaders

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- The self-exiled leader of Hamas' political wing is meeting on Monday with leaders of Lebanon's Western-backed government, a Hamas spokesman said.

It is a rare trip to Beirut by Khaled Meshaal, the leader of the Palestinian militant group who has lived in exile in Syria's capital, Damascus, since 2001.

Meshaal is scheduled to issue a public statement in Beirut later in the day, the spokesman said.

Lebanon's government is led by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who has close ties to the United States and other Western nations. But the government also includes members of the powerful Hezbollah-led opposition.

Meshaal's visit comes less than a month after Syria and Lebanon established diplomatic relations for the first time in more than 60 years.

Relations between the two countries have been strained since the 1970s, when Syria sent troops into Lebanon and retained control there for nearly 30 years.

Syrian forces were eventually ousted from Lebanon in 2005 after protests that followed the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri -- an act widely blamed on Syria. Damascus has denied any role.

A U.S. report on terrorism this year criticized Syria for its continued support of Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas, including providing safe haven to Meshaal.

Hamas is an Islamic fundamentalist group with a militant wing, Izzedine al Qassam, that is active in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

Meshaal is the group's top-ranking member as head of Hamas' politburo, which is a separate leadership body from Hamas' Palestinian leadership that controls Gaza.

Meshaal has said he cannot return to the Palestinian territories for fear that he will be arrested or killed by Israeli authorities.

He has led Hamas since 2004 when Israel assassinated the group's founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

-- CNN's Cal Perry contributed to this report.

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