Syria to begin first phase of Lebanon pullout
However, Washington, which says Syrian "support for terrorism" impedes Middle East peace, dismissed Syria's plan as inadequate and reiterated its call for a complete and immediate withdrawal.
Lebanese Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Mrad said that forces would retreat from northern Lebanon and Mount Lebanon in accordance with the Taif Accord that ended Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.
Under intense global pressure, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad announced plans on Saturday for a complete pullout of troops from Lebanon but said Damascus would still play a role in its neighbour's affairs. Mr Mrad said yesterday the pullback would start immediately after a meeting in Damascus between the leaders of both countries to approve Mr Assad's withdrawal plan. The Lebanese press described the plan as a historic move opening a new chapter after 30 years of Syrian domination.
Lebanese greeted Mr Assad's announcement with screams of delight in Beirut, while opposition figures in Lebanon and European leaders cautiously described the move as positive.
"We wake up in Lebanon today to a new political reality, the opening of a new phase in the country's history," As-Safir newspaper said in a front-page editorial yesterday.
Mr Assad told his parliament Syrian troops would initially pull back to the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and then to the border area.
"By this measure Syria would have fulfilled its commitment toward the Taif Accord and implemented (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1559," he said.
The Taif Accord ended Lebanon's civil war and stipulated the withdrawal of Syrian troops from most of the country within two years. Resolution 1559, adopted last September by the UN Security Council at the initiative of the United States and France, called for foreign troops to quit Lebanon completely.
Syrian troops have been in Lebanon since intervening in the civil war in the 1970s, and it has about 14,000 troops there, down from 40,000.
Lebanon's Hizbollah and its local allies called for a peaceful mass demonstration in central Beirut tomorrow in support of Syria and against foreign intervention.
Hizbollah, as the main guerrilla force fighting Israeli occupation at the time, was the only group allowed to keep its arms after the civil war.
Damascus has come under growing pressure to quit the country since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri last month. Many pointed the finger at Syria, which denies any role in the killing.
Russia, Britain and the European Union called Mr Assad's announcement a first step toward full withdrawal.
