Syria to Leave Lebanon...but...

It's terrific news that Syria has announced that its troups will leave Lebanon by year-end, but there is some concern that their intelligence officers will remain under-cover. Here's a few paragraphs from the Jerusalem Post (from the Lebanon Daily Star):

But the complete withdrawal may be difficult to verify. According to an article in Friday's 'Star' those forces are being replaced by undercover agents. The 'Star' wrote that according to reports "Syria is setting up a secret intelligence operation outside Beirut and is working through its allies in Lebanon to maintain its influence over the country even after it withdraws troops as demanded by the UN."

The article quoted unnamed UN officials and members of the Lebanese opposition who said that "Damascus is bringing in officials who will not be recognized, to staff its hidden presence in Beirut's suburbs, even as it closes its intelligence headquarters in the central part of the city."

The article also quoted a prominent member of key opposition leader Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party. "We in the opposition don't have exact evidence or information supporting this," said Wael Bou Faour, "but there is talk that the intelligence headquarters are being replaced by apartments or more private residences around the city and the Mukhabarat [intelligence services] are working from there."

A high-ranking official in Israel's foreign ministry said Israeli intelligence sources corroborated this claim.