Saudi Arabia Joins Calls for Syria Pullout

Saudi Arabia Joins Calls for Syria Pullout

Syria has been adamant that its soldiers will not leave Lebanon until a peace deal is struck with Israel. Damascus' key negotiating chip for peace talks is its control of Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon on the Israeli border, a leverage it may lose if it withdraws.

"Syria says, 'Well, what are we going to get for [withdrawal]?' " said Mohammed Sayed Said, director of the Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo.

"The Americans are calling the Syrian bluff for nothing and forcing Syrians to come to their knees."

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are trying to bridge the uncomfortable gap between the United States and Syria, he said. The three are U.S. allies and among the most powerful voices in the Arab world.

"They don't have much of an answer to tell the Syrians, but they certainly don't want Syria to play tough," Said said. "They want to save Syria, but in a way they want to save Syria against its own will."

The call from Saudi Arabia is significant because it was the host of the Taif Accord in 1989 that ended Lebanon's grueling, 15-year civil war. The agreement, under the auspices of the Arab League, also gave international approval for Syrian troops to remain in Lebanon to keep the peace between the country's warring sects.