Syrian forces to be re deployed in Lebanon
Lebanon-Syria, Politics, 11/27/2000

Following his meeting with the Maronite patriarch Nasrullah Butrous Sfeir, the speaker of the Lebanese parliament Nabih berri in Beirut on Friday said "our Syrian brothers have started their re-deployment in April this year. And re-deployment process will be completed very soon and the Syrian and Lebanese leaderships will meet to specify the positions where the Syrian troops to be stationed as a result of the new re-deployment plan".

The meeting between Berri and Sfeir came as a culmination to a long dialogue between the Maronite patriarchy and the speaker of the Lebanese parliament started since Spring, before the withdrawal of the israeli forces from South Lebanon and at the knowledge of the Syrian leadership and the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad before the death of the late President Hafez al-Assad.

In his statements Berri concentrated on the implementation of al-Taif accord. He said that Sfeir and the Maronite Patriarchy had not any time in their statements and proposals against Syria, noting that " without the protection given personally by the patriarch in the Taif issue, the Taif accord would not have been existed nor signed ".

He added " I will make all necessary contacts inside or outside the parliament." He added there should be no comparison between the Israeli enemy and the Syrian brother and I consider it " shame" to say that Syria has to withdraw from Lebanon because Israel has already withdrawn," recalling that "The lebanese resistance will not be able to expel Israel without the Syrian presence and the national unity." He added that Israeli started its withdrawal on May 25 while the Syrian army has started its redeployment earlier in April".

When he was asked if specifying the positions to station the Syrian troops in preparation for the withdrawal, Nerri said " when we say redeployment we mean a withdrawal according to Taif accord."

Previous Stories:
  Al-Hariri and Junblat   (11/21/2000)
  On the meeting between Syrian- Lebanese prime ministers   (11/18/2000)
  Hariri visits Damascus on Friday, Obeid on Saturday   (11/16/2000)

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