Withdrawal of Troops: Taif Accord

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Withdrawal of Troops: Taif Accord

Implementations

Withdrawal of Troops – 1989

Taif Accord sought to exercise the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over its internationally recognized territory and therefore had the provisions of troop withdrawal. At the time of the signing of the agreement, Syria has about 40,000 troops in Lebanon controlling about 65% of the country. Israel had a force of 1,500-3,000 in southern Lebanon in the so-called “security zone”. Israel had also resettled some 200,000 of its 2.7 million population in the controlled territory.[fn]Sandra M. Saseen, “The Taif Accord and Lebanon’s Struggle to Regain Its Sovereignty,” American University Journal of International Law and Policy 6, no. 1 (1990): 57, footnotes 2, 3.[/efn_note] Syria had accepted the principle of an eventual troop withdrawal from all the Lebanese territory but not such withdrawal took place in 1989. Similarly, Israel continued its occupation.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1990

No troop withdrawal took place neither from Israel nor from Syria. As a matter of fact, after the election of Elias Hrawi as president of Lebanon as per the Taif accord, Gen. Michel Aoun refused to recognize him or the Taif accord. Lebanon invited the Syrian troops to help oust rebel Gen. Aoun. In doing so, the president took Israel and the United States in confidence that “a Syrian assault involving warplanes and tank and infantry units would not be opposed or obstructed.”1 The rebel Gen. Michel Aoun, was defeated but the presence of the foreign troops continued.

  1. “U.S. Agreed Not to Block Move By Syria on Aoun, Lebanon Says,” Washington Post, October 16, 1990, Page A16.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1991

On 15 May 1991, Lebanon and Syria agreed on a treaty for coordination in defense and foreign policy. The agreement bolstered the presence of Syria in Lebanon as well as created a situation of military maneuvers on the side of Israel. Israel had maintained its military presence as well as funded a militia group, Southern Lebanon Army, to carry out joint military activities.2 Troop withdrawal did not take place.

  1. “Lebanon, Syria agree on strategic alliance,” United Press International, May 17, 1991.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1992

Troop withdrawal did not occur. According to the Taif accord, Syrian troops were to withdraw within two years or by September 1992.3 As a matter of fact, Syria pushed for the elections in Lebanon so that it could ensure electoral success of its close allies when it had a military presence there.

  1. “Mr. Assad’s Lebanon,” The Washington Times, August 11, 1992 (Editorial, F2).

Withdrawal of Troops – 1993

Neither Israel nor Syria withdrew their troops from Lebanon. In the ongoing Middle East Peace talks, Lebanon called for Israel to give up the Security Zone in southern Lebanon. Britain’s foreign secretary also called for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.4 On the other hand, the US foreign secretary Warren Christopher called for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon. Both countries maintained the presence of their troops in Lebanon.

  1. “Hurd calls for Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon,” Agence France Presse, January 3, 1994.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1994

Military withdrawal did not take place in 1994.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1995

Military withdrawal did not take place in 1995.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1996

Military withdrawal did not take place in 1996. There was a pressure from U.S. lawmakers on Syria to get out of Lebanon but it was believed that Syria would not “remove its troops from Lebanon before Israel would pull out from the Golan and a narrow strip of land in southern Lebanon.”5

  1. “Lawmakers urge Syria out of Lebanon,” United Press International, June 20, 1996.

Withdrawal of Troops – 1997

Syria and Israel did not withdraw their troops from Lebanon in 1997.

1998: The strength of the South Lebanon Army deteriorated in south Lebanon due to persistent resistance by Hezbollah. On March 1, 1998, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the acceptance of Resolutions 425 with condition of receiving security guarantee from Lebanon.6 No information available about the withdrawal of Syrian troops.

1999: In early June 1999, Israel’s proxy militia pulled back from the strategic Jezzine region in what was widely seen as a trial run for a full Israeli withdrawal.7 No information available about the withdrawal of Syrian troops.

2000-2005: The troop withdrawal component of the Taif agreement was not fully implemented even though 10 years had passed since the signing of the agreement. On 24 May 2000, Israel completely withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon.8 The move was also welcomed by Syria. On May 31, 2000, Syria agreed that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon was complete, implementing resolution 425.9 After Israel’s withdrawal, Syria gradually withdrew some of its troops from Lebanon (five redeployments). Nevertheless, as of 2004, there were still 20,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon.

As Security Council Resolution 1559 demanded withdrawal of Syrian troops in September 2004, Syria started limited withdrawal of troops from Beirut. By 30 September 2004 about 3,000 Syrian troops were pulled out of outskirts of Beirut.10 But this limited withdrawal was viewed as the breach of the resolution which had demanded for complete withdrawal. As the international pressure mounted for the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon, the Syrian president announced a two stage withdrawal of its troops in Lebanon to the border. However, as the pressure to provide timeline of withdrawal grew, Syria said that, ” it would withdraw one-third of its 15,000 troops and 5,000 intelligence agents in Lebanon by the end of March, as the first stage of an operation”. In the second stage, the remaining military and intelligence assets were to be withdrawn into Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley by the end of the month leading to the shutdown of the intelligence headquarters in Beirut by April 1.11 On 26 April 2005, Syria officially informed UN of final withdrawal from Lebanon.

  1. “Key dates in Israel’s 22-year involvement in Lebanon,” Agence France Presse, March 5, 2000.
  2. Ibid.
  3. “Israel Empties Out of Southern Lebanon, Leaving Security Vacuum,” CNN, May 24, 2000.
  4. “Syria agrees Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon is complete,” Agence France Presse, May 31, 2000.
  5. “Syria Completes Limited Troop Withdrawal from Lebanon,” World Markets Analysis, September 30, 2004.
  6. “Syria lays out withdrawal of troops from Lebanon,” The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), March 13, 2005.