The Syrian army is likely to complete its redeployment from the Lebanese capital today. Plans for the redeployment were drawn up by the political and military leaderships of both countries over two years. But as the troops moved eastwards, there was a marked increase in the number of Syrian plainclothes security personnel circulating in Beirut.
Since last Thursday troops have been pulling out of more than a dozen major positions. While the bulk of the soldiers are shifting to defensive lines in eastern Lebanon, a few units and transporters carrying tanks have crossed the border into Syria. It remains unclear whether an overall reduction in Syria's overt military presence will accompany the redeployment.
Although many of the positions handed over to the Lebanese army were located in mainly Christian East Beirut, key installations were also vacated in mixed West Beirut, including those along the seafront and around government buildings. The redeployment has been co-ordinated with the military wing of the Hizbollah movement as well as the Lebanese army.
Syria has more than 25,000 troops in the country. Damascus was asked to intervene in June 1976 to prevent the defeat of the Maronite Christian militia by the Palestinian-Muslim "nationalist forces" in the conflict which had been raging for 15 months. Once installed the Syrians stayed on, intervening a second time in 1990 against their former Maronite allies to bring an end to the civil war. Since then Damascus has been the main stabilising force and power-broker.
Following Israel's military withdrawal from the south in May 2000, Beirut and Damascus have come under increasing pressure to relocate Syria's troops. While the most vociferous critics of Syria's mililitary presence and defining role in Lebanon are from the Maronite community, led by Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, anti-Syrian feeling has been growing in other sections of the population.
The patriarch welcomed the redeployment: "We hope that top officials in both Lebanon and Syria will follow up on this step, reaching a point that guarantees the interests of both countries and establishes friendly relations which ensure the dignity of both. This cannot exist unless both parties are independent, have full sovereignty and the freedom to make decisions."