Anti-Syrian Christian leader Michel Aoun, who returned from 14 years’ exile only five weeks ago, handed other anti-Syrian opposition groups a surprising defeat in Lebanese parliamentary elections.

Anti-Syrian Christian leader Michel Aoun, who returned from 14 years’ exile only five weeks ago, appeared poised to hand other anti-Syrian opposition groups a surprising defeat in Lebanese parliamentary elections, denying them the majority they had hoped to muster in their drive to end Syria’s political control.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday demanded that Syria withdraw all its troops from Lebanon before Lebanese parliamentary elections in April and May, marking the first time he has set a specific timetable for Damascus.

President Bashar Assad, responding to weeks of intense pressure, announced today that Syria would move its troops to the Lebanese-Syrian border in a two-step pull-back that he said should satisfy international demands for a complete withdrawal.