(DPA/Ha'aretz) Dozens of Syrian troops evacuated at least 10 posts southeast of Beirut Tuesday , implementing a redeployment plan. According to Lebanese security sources, 1,000 soldiers were scheduled to leave. In the past three years, since Syrian President Bashar Assad took office, the number of Syrian troops in Lebanon has declined from 35,000 to around 16,000. The Syrian army first entered Lebanon in 1976 to stop Lebanese Muslims, leftists, and Palestinian guerrillas from defeating the Christians in the initial stages of Lebanon's 15-year civil war.
2003-07-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive