EIRUT, Lebanon, March 3 - Saudi Arabia told Syria on Thursday to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, adding substantially to Syria's international isolation just a day after Russia joined Western nations in making a similar call. Posted on 03/03/2005 6:49:09 PM PST by Southack
EIRUT, Lebanon, March 3 - Saudi Arabia told Syria on Thursday to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, adding substantially to Syria's international isolation just a day after Russia joined Western nations in making a similar call.
Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, went Thursday to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, hoping to secure Saudi support before a coming Arab summit meeting. But Saudi officials told Reuters and The Associated Press that Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz had delivered an unusually blunt rebuff. Egypt, the other key Arab player, has also called for the withdrawal of Syria from Lebanon. 
President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, left, was greeted Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by Crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz, whose aides said President Assad was warned about keeping his troops in Lebanon.
"The Arabs have taken a stand and the international community have taken a stand," said Joseph Samaha, editor in chief of As Safir, a Lebanese daily. "This means there is no ally left for Syria."
President Assad promised the Saudi leader he would study the idea of a partial withdrawal before the end of the month, the Saudi officials were quoted as saying.
Prior to last month's assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, the Saudis served as behind-the-scenes players in the cooling relations between the United States and Syria. They backed efforts by Mr. Hariri to mend relations between the two countries, while helping to maintain Arab support for Syria with the Arab league, said Hazem el-Amine, a columnist with a pan-Arab daily, Al Hayat.
"As long as the Saudis had organized to protect Syria, Syria could survive this," Mr. Amine said. "That's what makes this so important."
As key figures in the Arab League, Saudi Arabia and Egypt largely define the Arab line.
Mr. Assad has been seeking a face-saving solution by withdrawing most Syrian soldiers while maintaining a low-level presence as a bargaining chip. But foreign ministers at an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Thursday urged Syria to follow through on a 1989 accord that ended the Lebanese civil war and called for a Syrian redeployment to eastern Lebanon, near the border, and eventually to a full pullout.
"Assad needs the Arabs to support him in keeping troops behind," said Joshua Landis, a professor of history at the University of Oklahoma and editor of the Web site Syria Comment. "The Syrians think they have maneuvering room, and they're bargaining."
Saudi Arabia's rebuke follows a similar stand by Russia on Wednesday. "Syria should withdraw from Lebanon," Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the BBC late Wednesday. "But we all have to make sure that this withdrawal does not violate the very fragile balance which we still have in Lebanon, which is a very difficult country ethnically."
On Thursday, President Bush reiterated calls on Syria to leave Lebanon. "The United States of America strongly supports democracy around the world, including Lebanon," he said on a visit to the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va. "And it cannot flourish so long as Syrian troops are there. It's time for Syria to get out."
Analysts say the confluence of global powers turning their backs on Syria will make the imposition of sanctions more likely. The United States imposed sanctions on Syria in 2004, but Europe is Syria's largest trading partner, and sanctions by the European Union would strike at the core of Syria's economy.
European powers have resisted efforts to impose sanctions, fearing a repeat of Iraq, where, in their view, 14 years of sanctions destroyed the social fabric of the country and only served to empower Saddam Hussein. With the cat-and-mouse game growing more heated with Syria, however, Europeans may be forced to join a sanctions regime with the United States, Mr. Landis said.
Russia's announcement was in effect a message to Syria that Moscow would not exercise its veto against sanctions in the United Nations Security Council, he added.
Syria announced last week that it would begin redeploying troops from Lebanese highlands into Bakaa, the central valley. In separate interviews with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica and Time magazine, Mr. Assad pledged that he would be pulling troops out soon.
By Thursday, there had been no notable movement by Syrian troops. Press reports linked to the opposition reported that Syria was in fact reinforcing its positions in the mountains, but an official at the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the soldiers were "digging trenches in preparation for a withdrawal."
The mounting pressure from abroad continued even as Lebanese opposition figures struggled to maintain their momentum after Monday's resignation of Prime Minister Omar Karami.
President Émile Lahoud, who is linked with Syria, has not yet opened parliamentary consultations to assign a caretaker government. Opposition figures, who blame Syria for Mr. Hariri's assassination, dropped calls for Mr. Lahoud's resignation Wednesday and called instead for the resignation of Lebanon's public prosecutor and six top security officials.
Yet as the negotiations continue, and a waning crowd of primarily young Maronite Christian and Sunni Muslim protestors continue to camp out in Martyrs' Square and parade throughout the city waving Lebanese flags in protest, the absence of Shiite Muslim parties from the opposition has grown increasingly notable. Opposition members say Shiites have taken part, but acknowledge that the absence of Hezbollah and the other main Shiite party, Amal, has limited their reach.
There has not been a census in Lebanon in decades and no one knows the precise breakdown of population. But it is widely believed that Shiites, who are among the poorest members of society, make up about 40 percent of the country.
The opposition has struggled to woo Hezbollah, a Shiite party labeled a terrorist band by Washington, with little success. Hezbollah is perhaps the best organized party in Lebanon and derives much prestige from having fought Israeli occupation there during the 1980's and 90's.
On Wednesday, opposition leaders met with Hezbollah officials to coax the group to join their effort, but to little avail. While not openly advocating continued Syrian dominance of Lebanon, Hezbollah, which relies on Syria and Iran for its support, says it is trying to maintain a dialogue between the Syrian-backed government and the opposition.
During deliberations in Parliament on Monday on a no-confidence measure, Hezbollah members maintained a neutral tone, pragmatically studying where their interests lie.
"We have not announced how we will vote, but we are discussing things and waiting to see what comes out," said Hussein Haj Hassan, who is part of Hezbollah's bloc of 13 M.P.'s among the 128 representatives. "Everything is possible."
Hezbollah's reticence underscores its deep ties with Syria. Despite what has been called a cold friendship between Syria and Hezbollah, each sees itself in the same boat: if Syria pulls out, analysts say, Hezbollah will be vulnerable.
I wouldn't want you to miss this; the chinless wonder gets his marching orders from the Saudi's no less.
It's a stampede. Looks like Micky D's had better heat up all available french fry vats.
Ain't it sad when you run out of friends? LOL!
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Don't be fooled by the hordes pictured at the grand mosque. The real hajj is to the golden arches.
There are two McDonald's in Mecca where hypnotized Hajj participants can chow down on fries, far from the maddening crowd, and avoid the crush at the Kabba.
Man, this adds another twist to the Head Lock on Syria!!!
It's like Bizarro-World.
It's beautiful, Ernest!
Hooray!!
fyi
fyi
I never thought I'd see these things happening so soon.
This is going to work.
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