The London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat has learned that there has been no reserve troop call-up in the Lebanese and Syrian armies, contrary to Western diplomatic reports and news published in some Arab and foreign media.
These reports were published while referring to the threats launched by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer against Syria, Lebanon and Iran in response to the military operations carried out by Hizbullah in the Shebaa Farms.
Informed political circles in the Syrian capital said that Damascus did not pay any attention to these threats.
On reports that the redeployment of the Syrian forces in Lebanon is linked to the tense situation in the region and that this situation requires protecting the Syrian forces by assembling them in specific points instead of deploying them in a number of locations within Lebanese areas, these circles reiterated their denial of the existence of any connection between the recent action by the Syrian military command in this context (and the tense situation in the region).
These circles said that the decision of redeployment had been previously agreed upon between the Lebanese and Syrian leaderships months ago and shortly after the redeployment that took place last year, and that this decision was in implementation of what Al-Ta'if agreement stipulated. (Albawaba.com)
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