Syrian military to pull out all troops from Beirut in next 24 hrs

(17 Jun 2001)

1. Vacated Syrian position in Ein el-Mreiseh in Beirut
2. Close up of the vacated position
3. Various of Syrian trucks and buses full of Syrian soldiers on Beirut-Damascus highway
4. Various shots of empty Syrian position in Eastern Beirut Suburb
5. Deserted Syrian checkpoint in Beirut
6. Wide of empty entrance of a Syrian position in Beirut
7. Vacated Syrian position in Ein el-Mreiseh

STORYLINE:

The Syrian military on Sunday announced that it will pull all troops out of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, within twenty-four hours.

Syria continued its redeployment on Sunday, vacating strategic Mediterranean and hilltop positions.

No Syrian troops remained on Ras Beirut, a 1 and 1/2 kilometre (1 mile) spit of land in west Beirut overlooking the sea and a coastal highway, after withdrawing from three positions.

Lebanese soldiers quickly replaced departing Syrian forces from the Ras Beirut positions of Ein el-Mreiseh, the Renaissance Club and the Sporting Club but for security reasons cameras were not allowed to film.

Two more positions were relinquished in eastern Beirut's hilltop suburb of Fanar and the nearby Hikmeh neighbourhood.

Troops were seen preparing to move from other close-by positions.

At the Fanar and Hikmeh stations, signs were placed saying "Entry Forbidden. Lebanese Army." but no Lebanese soldiers were seen.

Syria has maintained about 30-thousand troops in Lebanon since 1976, but they should have left by now according to the 1989 Taif Accord that ended the 1975-90 civil war.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrians are also employed in Lebanon as labourers.

The Syrians came to Lebanon ostensibly as peacekeepers to quell a civil war, but as the conflict dragged on for 14 years, they were drawn in on the side of the Muslims.

Calls from Christians, mainly Maronites, for the Syrians' redeployment as a prelude to eventual withdrawal followed the pullout of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in May 2000.

The redeployment began on Thursday with the pulling back of Syrian positions near the presidential palace and the defence ministry in the eastern Beirut areas of Yarze and Baabda.

Syrian troops have currently vacated at least 18 positions.

Most have been seen moving east along the Beirut-Damascus highway toward the Bekaa Valley, while others went to mountains in central Lebanon.

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