ARABS-UN - Apr 2 - Syria To Pull Out Of Lebanon 'By End Of Month'.

The UN envoy Terje Roed Larsen,says Syria agreed to withdraw its troops from Lebanon by April 30. The timetable for withdrawal was the main demand of UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan, when he met Syria's Pres Bashar Al Assad, on the sidelines of the Arab League summit in Algiers last month. It follows intense international pressure for a full pull-out of Syrian troops and intelligence services before Lebanon holds its parliamentary elections. The polls are due in May but could be delayed. In a statement on Apr 3 Larsen, who is monitoring compliance with UN resolution 1559, said the organisation would send a verification team to monitor the pull-out if the Lebanese authorities agreed. He said the Syrian leadership's commitment implied adherence to the 1989 Taif agreement, which ended the Lebanese civil war, and last September's UN Security Council resolution. This calls for a withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon as well as the disarming of militias, a reference to Hizbollah guerrillas. Over the past few weeks Syria has withdrawn several thousand troops from Lebanon and redeployed remaining soldiers to the eastern Beka'a valley. Some intelligence offices have also been dismantled. But Syria continues to exert influence in Lebanon through its allies. Lebanese opposition figures have accused Damascus and pro-Syrian parties in Beirut of deliberately stalling in forming a government as a way to delay the elections. Pro-Syrian Lebanese intelligence agents have also been blamed for a spate of explosions in mainly Christian neighbourhoods over the past two weeks. Last week, after failing to form a government, PM-designate Omar Kamareh, indicated he would step down. On Friday, however, after meeting his pro-Syrian allies, he said he was asked to renew his efforts to form a cabinet.