Damascus ends withdrawal from Lebanon

The Syrian army escalated the pace of the withdrawal of its forces during recent hours from the Lebanese territories.

A high ranking Syrian army officer stressed the complete Syrian withdrawal will be made during the few coming hours, Four days before the date set by Damascus for the UN.

Lebanese security sources said that the chairman of the security and reconnaissance department in the Syrian forces, Rustum Ghazali, will be the last Syrian army official to leave Lebanon after a farewell ceremony to be held in his honor by the Lebanese army leadership in Reyaq air base in the Bekaa area on Tuesday. The completion of the Syrian forces withdrawal will coincide with the report to be submitted by the UN secretary general Kofi Annan to the UN Security Council tomorrow, Tuesday.

Two UN teams have already arrived in Lebanon on Monday to investigate the completion of the Syrian withdrawal and to prepare for the arrival of the UN investigation committee on the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri.

In Dallas, the USA, the US Vice President Dick Cheney met with Saad Eddine al-Hariri, the son of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri and discussions dealt with the future of Lebanon and the American role in this country.