Waffling Assad

The Syrian president is taking cues from Senator Kerry and waffling on the issue of a complete withdrawal from Lebanon.

DAMASCUS, Syria — President Bashar Assad, responding to weeks of intense pressure, announced Saturday that Syria would move its troops to the Lebanese-Syrian border in a two-step pullback that he said should satisfy international demands for a complete pullout.

It was not clear whether Assad meant he would keep some troops within Lebanon's border, but a Syrian Cabinet minister said later that a withdrawal would be complete and will be "in the nearest possible time."

"We will withdraw our forces stationed in Lebanon fully to the Bekaa region (in the east) and later to the Lebanese-Syrian border areas," he said in a carefully worded address, drawing cheers from legislators in the chamber and the thousands of Syrian supporters listening outside the building.

Unacceptable, President Assad. Pull them out!