Syrian troops to remain in Lebanon 'until April'

A senior Lebanese army officer has said 4,000 Syrian soldiers – more than a quarter of those serving in Lebanon just a week ago – are back in Syria, but he said a complete withdrawal is nearly a month away at the earliest.

A Syrian Cabinet minister also indicated a “very fast timetable for withdrawal” was expected – with completion ahead of Lebanese parliamentary elections as US President George W Bush has demanded. Election dates have not yet been set, but voting was expected to begin in April.