Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has announced that Syrian troops will start a gradual withdrawal from Lebanon.
'We will pull all our forces in Lebanon to the Bekaa area and from then to the Syrian-Lebanese border,' Mr Assad said in a speech to the Damascus parliament.
The move comes against the backdrop of a warning by US President George W Bush that any 'half-hearted' measures would not be tolerated.
Syria has been under intense pressure to pull out since last month's assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafiq Hariri.



















