Syrian Troops Leave Lebanon After 29 Years | April 26, 2005

4-26-05

The IRFWP is happy to see the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. We pray for peace among all Lebanese communities, and the emergence of a peaceful and constructive political culture. We also pray that Syria and Lebanon build their future as friends around something far more noble than the shared enmity expressed in the article below.

By Hassan M. Fattah and Christine Hauser
New York Times

Riyaq , Lebanon, April 26 - Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon today, crossing the border after a ceremony marking the end of the country's 29-year military presence.

A United Nations team is starting work in Lebanon this week to verify the completion of the withdrawal, which was mandated by Security Council resolution 1559. Calls for the troops to leave gained momentum with street protests in Lebanon after the recent assassination of the prime minister, Rafik Hariri. A United Nations commission is to investigate the bombing of Mr. Hariri's convoy on Feb. 14.

The formal close of this chapter of Syria's military presence took place at a Lebanese Air Force base about nine miles from the border. Lebanese and Syrian military leaders and elite troops gathered for the occasion at a bandstand, where army bands played the countries' national anthems.

Using an expression of farewell that literally translates as "Until next time," the two sides appeared to try to portray the occasion as less of an end to their relationship than a chance to start a new one. A Lebanese official thanked the Syrians for their service and sacrifices in Lebanon.

The Lebanese army commander, Gen. Michel Suleiman, praised the role of Syria's military in Lebanon, saying it rebuilt the army, maintained peace among the country's 17 sects and helped end the 1975-1990 civil war. He also said there would be continued cooperation between them.

"Together we shall always remain brothers in arms in the face of the Israeli enemy," General Suleiman said.

After the ceremony, the Syrian soldiers and leaders drove out. The last stragglers jumped on a television truck and then crossed the military road over the border.

The withdrawal has been slowly taking place over a period of about two months. Late Saturday, hundreds of troops pulled out of Baalbek, a Hezbollah stronghold. On Sunday, Syrian intelligence officers abandoned a checkpoint in the Bekaa region set up shortly after Lebanon's civil war broke out in 1976.

Soldiers painted over Syrian graffiti, destroyed documents and packed their belongings in some places the Syrian military had held for almost 30 years.

The Lebanese Army has taken up positions abandoned by the Syrians.

International pressure for a full withdrawal has risen steadily since the assassination of Mr. Hariri, in an attack that Syria was widely accused of aiding and that galvanized Lebanon's opposition movement.

In a statement on Monday, the United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, said he was dispatching the team to verify whether there had been a full and complete withdrawal of all Syrian troops, military assets and the intelligence apparatus in keeping with the 2004 resolution.

The statement also said that a United Nations team in Lebanon this week would prepare for a commission to look into Mr. Hariri's murder, after an initial United Nations mission found Lebanon's own investigation "seriously flawed" and declared Syria, with its troop presence, "primarily responsible for the political tension preceding the assassination."

Hassan M. Fattah reported for this article from Lebanon and Christine Hauser reported from New York.

Posted by admin at April 26, 2005 12:00 PM