Syrian forces leave Lebanon after three decades

Syria withdrew its last soldiers and intelligence agents from Lebanon yesterday, ending a 29-year military presence in its small neighbour.

As the Syrian troops crossed the frontier in green buses, many Lebanese hailed their departure as the start of a new era, but analysts said Damascus would remain influential.

"With the completion of the Syrian forces' withdrawal from Lebanon, a new political era in the relations between the two brethren countries starts based on close cooperation in all fields," Lebanon's new Prime Minister Najib Mikati said.

Syria told the United Nations it had completed its pull-out from Lebanon in line with Security Council resolution 1559.

Syria "would like to officially inform you that the Syrian Arab forces stationed in Lebanon, at the request of Lebanon and under an Arab mandate, have fully withdrawn all their military, security apparatus and assets..." Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara said in a letter to the world body. Syrian forces entered in 1976 to try to end Lebanon's civil war which had begun the previous year.

However, the conflict did not end until 1990. At different times, Syrian forces had fought Muslim and Christian militias, Lebanese army units, Palestinian guerillas and the Israeli army.

Pro-Syrian Lebanese officials say 12,000 Syrian soldiers were killed in Lebanon and many more wounded.

The Syrians dominated Lebanon after the civil war, incurring little serious international opposition until a UN Security Council resolution in September demanded their withdrawal.