The Hindu : International : Syria to redeploy forces in Lebanon

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Sunday, Mar 06, 2005

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International

Syria to redeploy forces in Lebanon

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, MARCH 5. Against the backdrop of mounting international pressure, the Syrian President, Bashar Assad, announced the redeployment of Syrian forces in Lebanon to the eastern Bekaa Valley.

Addressing Syria's parliament, Mr. Assad said Syria would not stay in Lebanon "one day" longer than Lebanon wishes. The Syrian President said he preferred a gradual troop withdrawal from Lebanon. In the initial stage, Syrian forces would be concentrated in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa valley. Syria would subsequently withdraw its forces further towards the Lebanese-Syrian border. Syrian officials would meet next week with their Lebanese counterparts to coordinate the withdrawal.

Earlier, the Lebanese Defence Minister, Abdul-Rahim Mrad, who has not yet been relieved of his duties as the pro-Syria government, which resigned earlier, continues to play a caretaker role, said Syria wanted to keep some troops inside the Bekaa valley for a longer duration, pending negotiations with the Lebanese Government as prescribed by the Taif Accord of 1989.

A Syrian political commentator, Sami Moubiyan, told The Hindu that, "The Syrians can only guarantee their security interests by maintaining 2,000 troops in the Bekaa Valley, as an early warning system against any Israeli attack." He stressed that such a move would not contradict the Taif Accord, which permitted Syria to position its troops in the Bekaa valley so long as Israel occupied any part of Lebanon.

While Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon in 2000, its forces continue to occupy the disputed Sheba farms. In his address, Mr. Assad said the Taif Accords, which ended the Lebanese civil war, included details about the procedures for a Syrian withdrawal.

However, calls for an immediate withdrawal would upset stability in Lebanon, he said.

In a day of fast developments, Lebanese troops in armoured carriers briefly surrounded the Syrian intelligence headquarters in Beirut. The around 50 troops, however, later withdrew with officers saying that the move was precautionary, and meant to protect the Syrians. Mr. Assad's speech follows intense pressure from the United States, France, Britain and Saudi Arabia seeking an end to Syria's political influence in Lebanon, exercised through the deployment of 15,000 troops and intelligence assets inside the country.

Faced with calls for an immediate withdrawal, Syria sent its Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Moullem, to consult officials from Russia, its traditional ally. Mr. Assad himself travelled to Saudi Arabia while Arab foreign ministers convening in Cairo considered the crisis in Lebanon, ahead of the Arab summit in Algiers later this month.

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, following his meeting with Mr. Moullem, said Moscow had secured a commitment from Syria that it would respect last year's U.N. Security Council resolution demanding the pull out of its forces. He, however, clarified that "the U.N. resolution calls for the withdrawal of troops, but it doesn't specify a timetable."

In Cairo, the Arab League Secretary-General, Amr Moussa, said Arab foreign ministers were considering the implementation of the Taif agreement as the basis for finding a solution to the crisis.

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