Out you go: Syrian President Bashar Assad said
today that Syria would begin a partial withdrawal from Lebanon on Monday, following a weekend of intense diplomatic pressure from the United States, France, and other Arab countries.
The announcement regarding the expected Syrian pullout came from Lebanese Defense Minister Abed el-Rahim Murad.
"The withdrawal begins tomorrow; it will continue for two to three days,” he said.
Murad said the pullout would begin immediately following the meeting between Lebanese and Syrian defense officials set to take place in Damascus on Monday. Syrian President Bashar Assad and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud are also expected to attend.
Hizbullah General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah said during a meeting of pro-Syrian parties in Lebanon Sunday “we reject Security Council resolution 1559.”
“The resolution has many elements of foreign intervention in Lebanon’s affairs,” he said.
Nasrallah said the U.S. and France have played a key role in the current Lebanese crisis, and mentioned Israeli media reports regarding Lebanese officials, mainly from the opposition, who turned to their Israeli acquaintances for help in the current struggle.
He said the reports “prove President Assad’s claims regarding the intent to reach a Lebanese-Israeli agreement are true; they were reinforced by Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who said there is room for a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon following the withdrawal of the Syrian forces.”
The U.S. State Department reacted quickly to Assad’s Saturday speech, saying Syria’s plan to withdraw from Lebanon in stages was “insufficient”, and that the United States and France demand “a full withdrawal, not a half-withdrawal”.
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State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told the al-Arabiyya news channel that the United States expected more. “The international community has called for a quick and total Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. We have not heard the words 'immediate and full withdrawal' ".
The Americans added that that “the world is closely following events from Lebanon, particularly those in Beirut. The Syrian and Lebanese governments must honor the will of the Lebanese people, and the Lebanese people must have the opportunity to express themselves freely and without threat of violence.”
Saturday night, pro-Syrian demonstrators opened fire on a Christian neighborhood in the capital considered to be anti-Syrian. Protesters hung posters of Assad, and eyewitnesses said dozens of people took part in the gun battle. No injuries were reported.
Aoun: investigate Hariri death
Lebanese opposition leaders, buoyed by American and French support, also denounced Assad’s speech, saying the Syrian leader tried to score points on the international stage without actually committing Syria to withdrawing from Lebanon.
Speaking to the Arabic-language al-Arabiyya channel, exiled General Michel Aoun said from Paris “Syria must withdraw from Lebanon, and not just to the Bekaa Valley. Furthermore, we demand not only a full international investigation into the assassination of (former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik) al-Hariri and to bring those responsible to justice.
In response to international criticism of Assad’s speech, Syrian Minister for Expatriates Bouthaina Shaaban the speech, saying the president was “clear” about Syria’s intention to withdraw from Lebanon. “President Assad was clear: we are only in Lebanon to serve the Lebanese people. If they want us out, we’ll leave—but the United Nations must assume responsibility,” she said.
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