Syrian troops to begin pullout from Lebanon under pressure

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanese officials said Syrian troops will start moving toward eastern Lebanon today in a pullback that will take two or three days, while Syrians — not unexpectedly — backed President Bashar Assad's decision and insisted Sunday he was not bowing to international pressure.

The withdrawal from central and northern Lebanon toward the Bekaa Valley will begin right after a meeting in Damascus, Syria, of the presidents of the two countries, Lebanese Defense Minister Abdul-Rahim Murad told The Associated Press. Assad and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud will decide on the timetable of the pullback and repositioning of forces.

"The Syrian withdrawal will begin Monday directly after the meeting in Damascus of the Syrian and Lebanese leaderships," Murad said.

Also Sunday, the leader of the Hezbollah militant group called for a demonstration in Beirut to counter the weeks of anti-Syrian protests here. Underlining tensions between the two camps, a pro-Syrian supporter fired on an anti-Syrian activist and wounded him, police said. The two clashed near Martyrs Square in central Beirut.

Assad told his parliament Saturday that the redeployment of 14,000 Syrian troops to the Bekaa Valley is the first phase of a two-step pullback, but he left unclear whether troops eventually would leave Lebanon or remain near the border. He also said nothing about pulling out intelligence officials, who the United States said also must leave.

Syrian secret services and intelligence officials "that really keep the clamp of fear in the Lebanese people" must withdraw, White House counselor Dan Bartlett told CNN's "Late Edition."

President Bush said Friday that anything less than a full Syrian withdrawal by May — when Lebanese parliamentary elections are to be held — would be an unacceptable "half-measure." U.S. officials reiterated that demand Sunday.

"We'll continue to make clear that they understand that the international community is not going to stand by and let Assad continue to have these type of half-measures, but to live up to his international demands," Bartlett told "Fox News Sunday."

The 1989 Arab-brokered Taif Accord called for Syria to move its troops to the Lebanese border and for both countries to then negotiate the withdrawal.

A U.N. resolution, drafted by the United States and France in September, called on Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon, stop influencing politics in the country and allow Lebanon to hold presidential elections as scheduled. France and Russia also have demanded a full withdrawal.