The United States on Friday handed its last prisoner in Iraq, a Hizbullah operative accused of plotting the killing of five U.S. soldiers, to Iraqi authorities, sparking a political furor in Washington.

A complicated legal drama surrounded the fate of Ali Mousa Daqdouq, who confessed to training Iraqi extremists in Iran, as U.S. troops end their mission and prepare to finally leave Iraq by the end of the month.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi met Friday in Bkirki with Hizbullah politburo member Ghaleb Abu Zainab, who passed on Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s season’s greetings to the patriarch, state-run National News Agency reported.

The agency did not elaborate on the topics discussed during the meeting.

Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem condemned the attack against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon on December 9, slamming the March 14 camp and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe’s accusations that the party was behind the assault.

He said: “We have decided to file a lawsuit against those who made such accusations against us.”

Federal authorities blamed Lebanese financial institutions Thursday for wiring more than $300 million into the United States in a money-laundering scheme they said used the U.S. financial system to benefit Hizbullah.

The U.S. government said in the lawsuit filed in a Manhattan federal court that it seeks nearly a half-billion dollars in money-laundering penalties from some Lebanese financial entities, 30 U.S. car buyers and a U.S. shipping company. It also said it's entitled to claim their assets as forfeitable under U.S. money-laundering laws.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized on Thursday Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement’s agreement on nominating Judge Tannous Meshleb as their candidate for the presidency of the Higher Judicial Council, deeming it an attempt to politicize the judiciary.

He told the Central News Agency: “This is a dangerous and unprecedented development that is part of Hizbullah’s ongoing attempt to take over the state.”

Hizbullah snapped back at March 14 opposition officials on Thursday, saying they were making “dangerous” accusations over the roadside bombing that targeted French U.N. peacekeepers last week.

“The dangerous and unacceptable statements” made by some March 14 officials are a sign that they “are part of the scheme targeting the resistance,” Hizbullah said in a statement.

Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi apologized on Thursday to Speaker Nabih Berri and the lawmakers over the words he used during his verbal clash with Phalange deputy Sami Gemayel the day before.

In a statement issued by Hizbullah’s press office, Moussawi said: “Out of my respect to the party’s values and ethics, I apologize to Speaker Nabih Berri and fellow lawmakers over the offensive word I used in my response yesterday.”

Hizbullah and the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Michel Aoun, have reached an agreement to nominate Judge Tannous Meshleb as their candidate for the presidency of the Higher Judicial Council, al-Joumhouria daily reported Thursday.

The appointment of the head of the HJC will be discussed during upcoming cabinet sessions.

The Russian and Iranian leaderships are trying to mediate between the Syrian officials and the Muslim Brotherhood leadership to resolve the Syrian crisis away from any military intervention, As Safir newspaper published on Thursday.

Syrian President Bashar Assad “is seriously seeking a political solution,” Lebanese Muslim officials told the daily.

High-ranking March 14 sources said Thursday that the language used by Hizbullah MP Nawwaf Moussawi in his dispute with Phalange lawmaker Sami Gemayel was rejected and was a reaction approved by his party.

“What happened during the session was an attempt to terrorize” MPs, but the Hizbullah lawmaker’s efforts failed after Gemayel and several other opposition members snapped back at him, the sources said.