A rchive Date
[ 21-02-2005 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Syria ]
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[http://sympaticomsn.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1109000171835_104409371?hub=topstories
Syrian troops to leave Lebanon: Arab League chief
CTV.ca News Staff
Updated Mon. Feb. 21 2005 1:31 PM ET
Syria will "soon" take steps to withdraw its troops from Lebanon as part of a 1989 agreement, according to the chief of The Arab League.
The League's secretary-general, Amr Moussa, made the statement after meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad on Monday.
"Assad stressed more than once his firm determination to go on with implementing the Taif agreement and achieve Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon in accordance with this agreement," said Moussa.
Moussa also quoted Assad as saying that "Syrian withdrawal is part of Syrian policy and we will see steps in this direction very soon."
The 1989 agreement signed in Taif, Saudi Arabia, ended the civil war that began in 1975. The agreement, among other things, called for Syrian forces to pull back to the eastern Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border within two years. There are currently about 15,000 Syrian troops stationed throughout Lebanon.
Anti-Syrian protest draws thousands
One of the key architects of the 1989 agreement was former prime minister Rafik Hariri, who's been credited with rebuilding the country from the destruction of war. Marking exactly one week since Hariri's assassination, tens of thousands of opposition supporters shouted insults at Syria and demanded the resignation of their pro-Syrian government in a demonstration Monday.
Lebanese opposition leaders say the Syrian-allied government was behind Hariri's killing. Some of the protesters cried "Syria out" and "We don't want an army in Lebanon except that of Lebanon," while holding up portraits of Hariri and past leaders killed during the 1975-1990 civil war.
Police and soldiers in full battle gear stood guard, but the protest remained peaceful. At 12:55 p.m., protesters marked the exact time of Hariri's death a week ago after his motorcade was blown up, killing him and 16 others.
They sang their national anthem and observed a moment of silence before converging on the UN offices in downtown Riyad to hand a letter to representatives of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The U.S., France and the United Nations have called on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon.
In a keynote speech that kick-started a five day European tour, U.S. President George W. Bush on Monday called on Syria to withdraw from Lebanon. "Just as the Syrian regime must take stronger action to stop those who support violence and subversion in Iraq - and must end its support for terrorist groups seeking to destroy the hope of peace between Israelis and Palestinians - Syria must also end its occupation of Lebanon."
The European Union has asked for an international investigation into Hariri's killing.
And the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, said: "There has to be an independent probe, given a high-level of suspicion about the potential involvement of Syria in the assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri."
Lebanon's Syrian-backed government has rejected the calls for a full inquiry, saying it will, however, cooperate with a UN team due to arrive this week.
With files from the Associated Press
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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