WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Saturday that Syria’s plan to gradually withdraw from Lebanon fell short and urged that Syrian remove all of its troops from the country.

While announcing a partial withdrawal, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that did mean his country would end its role in Lebanon.

“We mean complete withdrawal — no half-hearted measures,” said Darla Jordan, spokeswoman for the State Department.

U.S. officials have said Washington and European allies are considering “next steps” if Syria fails to pull out, including diplomatic and economic sanctions and a tougher U.N. resolution.
Full Article: nytimes.com/reutersl

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