Syria and Israel's decision to withdraw from south Lebanon

The Monte Carlo Radio correspondent in Damascus on Monday quoted well-informed Syrian sources as saying that the decision of the Israeli government to withdraw from south Lebanon represents a means of pressure on Damascus towards changing its negotiation position.

The Syrian sources stressed that Damascus will not be affected by this Israeli decision to change its negotiation process with Israel.

The Syrian sources remarked that the decision of the Israeli government does not express UN resolution 425, especially as it represents "redeployment" and not a complete withdrawal, a matter which makes the possibility of an explosion still stand there.

The Syrian sources ruled out the possibility that Israeli Premier Ehud Barak had announced the withdrawal of his forces from south Lebanon, because he had almost completed an agreement with the Syrian side, especially as reading the news of "redeployment," from Damascus's perspective means only a pressure operation to set a certain date for reaching an agreement.