NewsMarch 8, 2005
World digest 03/08/05
Syrian troops begin pullback in Lebanon; John Paul expected back home within two weeks; 33 Iraqis killed in attacks by insurgents; Bolivian president resigns after wave of protests
Syrian troops begin pullback in Lebanon
MDEIREJ, Lebanon -- Syrian soldiers loaded trucks with furniture and other supplies Monday and drove east from the Lebanese mountain posts they have held for decades, the first signs of a redeployment to Lebanon's Bekaa Valley announced by the leaders of the neighboring nations. The pullback began as more than 70,000 Lebanese thronged Beirut in the biggest demonstration yet of anti-Syria anger that has fueled recent street protests. Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Lebanese counterpart, Emile Lahoud, met to outline plans for shifting Syrian troops closer to the Syrian border by the end of March. But they were vague on the timing of a complete withdrawal from Lebanon.
John Paul expected back home within two weeks
VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II probably will return to the Vatican by Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week leading to Easter, giving him up to 13 more days in the hospital to fully recover from throat surgery and to regain use of his voice, the Vatican said Monday. A new medical bulletin said the 84-year-old pontiff's condition continues to improve, but it gave no date for his discharge from the hospital, where he was rushed Feb. 24 with his second breathing crisis in a month. However, papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters John Paul will be back by March 20.
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33 Iraqis killed in attacks by insurgents
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraqi insurgents set off bombs and fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons at military convoys, checkpoints and police patrols in a spate of violence Monday that killed 33 people and wounded dozens. The terror group Al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, claimed responsibility.
Bolivian president resigns after wave of protests
LA PAZ, Bolivia -- President Carlos Mesa submitted his resignation to Congress on Monday after warning that a wave of protests against his 15-month-old government may soon leave Bolivia's largest cities isolated by road blockades. Legislators could decide as early as today whether to accept the resignation, which followed several days of street protests calling for a privatized water company to immediately stop operating and demanding higher taxes on oil companies.
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