In an effort to appease growing international pressure, Syria began moving more than 1,000 of its 20,000 troops stationed in Lebanon on Tuesday. A divided UN Security Council earlier this month approved a US and France-backed resolution demanding foreign forces leave Lebanon. The resolution also stipulated that new elections be held. As a result, pro-Syrian lawmakers in the Lebanese government amended their constitution to keep President Emile Lahoud in office.

Lahoud maintains redeployment is a matter between Lebanon and Syria. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will update the Security Council on the situation in Lebanon in two weeks. Syria has said in the past that it will remove its troops from Lebanon after Israel relinquinshes all Arab lands. Read UN Security Council Resolution 1559 here[PDF]. AP has more.