Syria begins Lebanon pullout

摘要

Syria has begun redeploying some of its estimated 14,000 troops in Lebanon in the first part of a two-phase withdrawal. Syrian officials say it will be completed by the end of May. The phased withdrawal should terminate Syria's military presence in Lebanon, 29 years after Syrian forces first arrived to help end the initial stages of the 1975-1990 civil war. During a speech to the Syrian parliament on 5 March, President Bashar al-Assad said that the pull-back would involve withdrawing all Syrian troops to the eastern Bekaa Valley in the east of Lebanon before a final redeployment to the "Syrian-Lebanese border area".