Report: A Syrian gift to Lahoud

The Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas on Sunday reported that there is a conviction in Lebanese political circles that Damascus will announce by the beginning of the term of Lebanese President-elect Emile Lahoud the withdrawal of military units positioned in several areas, especially in Beirut and its suburbs, in a step toward redeployment and repositioning in the Bekaa area as a prelude for ultimate withdrawal from Lebanon. The paper said that Lebanese political circles find in this step, if it takes place, a great opportunity to develop Syrian-Lebanese relations more actively.