Syria pulled its last soldiers and intelligence agents out of Lebanon yesterday – just beating President Bush’s deadline to end its 29-year military presence there.
Lebanese civilians danced with joy as the last Syrian troops withdrew past the border crossing at Masnaa, Lebanon, after a brief ceremony.
Lebanon’s new prime minister, Najib Mikati, said the pullout marked “a new political era.”
Syria has dominated Lebanese affairs since sending tens of thousands of troops across the border in 1976 in what was called peacekeeping duty during a civil war.
But after former Lebanese Premier Rafik Hariri, who had been critical of Syrian dominance, was assassinated in February, anti-Syrian sentiment swelled in Beirut and elsewhere.
In an Oval Office interview with Post editors last month, Bush demanded Syria withdraw the last of its 14,000 troops and intelligence officers before Lebanese elections scheduled for May.
Syria started withdrawing its men from Beirut within two weeks of Bush’s comments and removed the last of them from the country early yesterday. Gen. Ali Habib, Syria’s chief-of-staff, said the pullout was based on the rebuilding of the Lebanese army, which is now “capable of protecting the state.”
Lebanese civilians said they were happy to see the Syrians finally leave.
“We are very happy. We are celebrating,” said Khaled Saleh, 24, a computer consultant.
“I have been asking for this all my life.”
With Post Wire Services