lebanon 'victory'spur's syrian's to demand a voice

demonstration's that brought down the govt. of neighboring Lebanon on Monday inspired syria's intellectual's and activist's to issue new calls yesterday for greater political parcipatation in their own country-a nation known for it's strict limit's on dissent.

"what happened[in lebanon]was a huge victory not only for the lebonese people,but for the people of this region,"said Wael Sawah,a syrian political analyst and activist."This is the first time a cabinet resigns under popular pressure."

Meanwhile,Syria yesterday gave it's clearest indication yet that it is willing to move it's troop's out of Lebanon.President Bashar Assad said in an interview published yesterday that a troop pullout could come in a matter of month's."it[the withdrawal] should be very soon and maybe in the next few months.not after that."

It's starting to look as though our foreign policy establishment was as wrong about the middle east as it was about the soviet empire!!