Saudis Back Calls for Syrian Pullout from Lebanon [View All]

[Up2Late]

Thu Mar 3, 2005 04:01 PM ET

By Dominic Evans

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia added a key Arab voice on Thursday to mounting demands that Syria withdraw its troops swiftly from Lebanon, where they have helped secure it powerful influence for decades.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew to Riyadh for crisis talks where Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah told him immediate action was needed.

Abdullah, a regional ally of the United States, told Assad that "Syria must start withdrawing soon, otherwise Saudi-Syrian relations will go through difficulties," one Saudi official said.

Syria's official SANA news agency said of the Assad-Abdullah meeting: "The talks have tackled the upcoming Arab summit meeting and the situation in Lebanon and views were identical on this matter."

Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo refrained from joining in an increasingly public campaign calling for Syrian withdrawal and said they were opting for quiet diplomacy by individual Arab states.
(more at link)
<http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7801805&src=rss/topNews>