Word: syrians
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Gemayel's visit to Damascus signals a Syrian fait accompli
...carpets were rolled out lavishly in Damascus last week in a ceremony that marked both a welcome for the guest and a triumph for the host. On the tarmac of the city's international airport, Syrian President Hafez Assad waited patiently as a chartered executive jet glided to a halt and delivered his reluctant visitor, Lebanese President Amin Gemayel. The two men embraced, then repaired to a dais while ranks of Syrian troops passed in review and field guns barked out a 21-gun salute. The solicitous display spoke volumes about the intricacies of politics in the Middle East...
During Gemayel's two-day visit to Damascus-remarkably, his first since taking power 17 months ago-he and Assad worked out the conditions of the new Syrian hegemony. Chief among their topics was how best to abrogate the May 17 security agreement between Israel and Lebanon, a condition to which Gemayel had agreed in principle before leaving for Damascus. In return Assad was prepared to support Gemayel's continuation in office, albeit within a restructured Lebanese political system that would give more power to the Druze and Shi'ite Muslim opposition groups that have been wreaking...
After four meetings totaling more than seven hours, a Syrian spokesman described the sessions between Assad and Gemayel as "positive and fruitful." Tangible results, he said, would occur "within the next few days." The first fruit of the talks, however, was supposed to be a general cease-fire in Lebanon. At week's end that had not yet been achieved, even though Assad was exerting considerable pressure on Gemayel's chief opponents in Lebanon, Druze Leader Walid Jumblatt and Nabih Berri, head of the Shi'ite Amal militia. By Saturday, however, Jumblatt and Berri had dropped their...
Once-and if-a unity government is formed, the Syrians have promised to hold detailed discussions with it over the withdrawal of 62,000 Syrian troops from Lebanese territory. Assad remains insistent, however, that full Syrian withdrawal will not take place until Israel removes its 22,000 troops from southern Lebanon...