American doubts on Syrian intelligence withdrawal from Lebanon

Commenting on her country's doubts on the presence of the Syrian intelligence on the Lebanese territories, the US secretary of state Comdaleezza Rice called in a speech before AIPAC ( a lobbying organization which supports Israel) on Damascus to withdraw members of its intelligence from Lebanon.

Rice said "The Syrian regime has withdrawn its decades-long military presence. And at the end of this month, the Lebanese people will go to the polls and set a new course of action. But we cannot rest. Syria must also remove its intelligence forces and allow the Lebanese people to be free."

Meantime, the US Congress adopted a resolution calling for the withdrawal of the Syrian intelligence officers from Lebanon.

The Republican Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, from Florida, said during the debate in the Congress that the UN Security Council resolution calls for the resignation of security officers who are close to Syria including the commander of the military intelligence, the police leaders and the leaders of the general security and the state security departments.

The last Syrian soldier had left Lebanon on April 26th ending a 29 year presence there.