Syria Withdrawing Military From Lebanon

[bemildred]

Notice how the 2nd paragraph directly contradicts the headline?

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Syria, under growing international pressure
to end its longtime military presence in Lebanon, began pulling
back more than 1,000 of its 20,000 troops on Tuesday, a senior
Lebanese military official said.

The military official, who declined to be named, said the
redeployment involved troops in the Beirut area who were being
moved away from the capital to new positions within Lebanon. As
such it did not qualify as a withdrawal, the official told The
Associated Press.

Defense Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, emerging from a meeting
of senior Lebanese and Syrian military officers in Beirut, said the
redeployment indicates ``the security situation in Lebanon is
becoming more stabilized.''

Guardian

[papau]

1. They have 40,000 troops in Leb- so a 1000 pull back sounds like

a standard leave schedule!

So then they move a 1000 to those in the Beka valley!

wow!

And where does the "Syria once had some 35,000 troops in Lebanon." come from - the reported number was 45,000 to 50,000.

And the 2001 "thinning its military presence in 2001, making four withdrawals from Beirut, central Lebanon, and from northern Lebanon" of 16,000 troops - that sure slipped by under the radar!

I really hope they do have only 20,000 still in Leb - as that would mean tensions are decreasing!

[Aidoneus]

2. from where do you have your figures on this?

admittedly hazy, but I think it's 3k in the north, 5k in the counties around Beirut, then the rest in the Bekaa for about 15-17k total..

The internal tensions & situation, at least as far as potentially warring parties go, is stabilizing. I don't think they'll be a total withdrawal until the threat from the enemy to the south is less erratic and unpredictable than it is now, nor should there.

[papau]

3. I am working from memory - always risky - more so as I get older - but

At the time of the Israeli Withdrawal, I am fairly certain the media statements said 45 to 50 thousand.

Since then I just have not heard of a massive pull down - or better- I can not remember hearing of such a pull down.

I did hear of a decrease to 35 to 40 thousand post the Israeli withdrawal as many of the anti-aircraft folks were sent home.

But when did the other 16,000 get pulled back - if they were pulled back? I thought they were re-positioned into other parts of the country (controlling the Christian areas, Turk border, and Beirut)

[Aidoneus]

4. a series of stages..

A few months after the Zionist retreat in May of 2000, October-Novemberish? of that year, there was the first major reduction & reshuffling. I don't have exact figures on hand or in memory about what this was reduced-to/from-what.

A reshuffling took place in June of 2001, which saw positions moved around and the general number reduced. Again, I don't have exact figures on hand for this one.

Another took place in February of 2003, removing some positions in the northern areas and from around Beirut, leaving less than 20k.

There may have been another since then, but I forget. I know the figure now is less than 17,000, perhaps 15k.