American cautious welcome to al-Assad's announcement

The US has welcomed the announcement by the Syrian president on withdrawal from Lebanon, but said that the matter should take less than one month.

Chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the Senate, the Republican Senator Richard Lugar called for the acceleration of the Syrian withdrawal, while the democrat Joseph Biden called for the departure of the Syrian intelligence about whom he said "they run effectively the Lebanese government."

Britain has joined the American pressures after its prime minister Tony Blair said in a statement issued by the Guardian on Wednesday that Syria has to seize the available opportunity to respond to demands of the international community.

Israel doubted the possibility that the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon will be within months and considered that al-Assad's statements as a direct result of international pressures.

One Israeli official asked to be anonymous said that President al-Assad "always say many things when he faces international pressures, adding that Israel will not believe his statements, until it sees actions."

Worthy mentioning that the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon linked between resumption of negotiations with Syria, suspended since five years, to its withdrawal from Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the border areas with Israel where Hizbullah forces exist and the expulsion of Palestinian and Lebanese resistance groups.