| Syria, Lebanon to probe
claims all troops have not left DAMASCUS -
Syria and Lebanon have decided to form a commission to examine claims by Lebanon's premier
that Damascus still has troops in Lebanon, in an area where the border is poorly
demarcated, the official SANA news agency reported Tuesday.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nagib Miqati said in an interview published Monday that Syrian
troops are located in Deir al-Aashaer, which is on the border, "but we are certain
that the Syrian position falls within Lebanese territory".
"We will of course speak with Syria about this when I visit Damascus," he told
France's Le Monde newspaper.
Miqati is to travel to the Syrian capital on Wednesday on his first foreign visit since
taking office in mid-April.
Syria had supposedly completed pulling out its troops from Lebanon on April 26, ending a
29-year military presence in its smaller neighbour.
A Syrian official said Tuesday that the Lebanese and Syrian army general commands decided
to "form a joint military commission composed of officers and topographical experts
to examine the question." |