Taif Agreement
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The Taif Agreement (http://www.meij.or.jp/text/PeaceProcess/taif.htm) was negotiated in Taif, Saudi Arabia by members of Lebanon's parliament, presided by Speaker of the House President Hussein El-Husseini. The agreement covered political reform, the ending of the war in Lebanon, the establishment of special relations between Lebanon and Syria, and a framework for the beginning of complete Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon. It was signed on October 22, 1989. The agreement restructured the political system in Lebanon by transferring power away from the Maronite Christian minority, which had been given a privileged status in Lebanon under French colonial rule. The accords established a cabinet divided equally between Christians and Muslims. The Taif Agreement also reinforced Syria's direct role in Lebanese affairs. Syrian troops, which had occupied the country for 29 years, withdrew from Lebanon April 28,2005. On March 8, 2005, Hezbollah, which maintains an armed force of 20,000 men and has had backing from Syria and Iran, staged a massive rally in Beirut drawing hundreds of thousands of people. Organizers attacked UN Resolution 1559, which mandated withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon and the disbanding of domestic militias. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, insisted "The troop withdrawal must happen according the the mechanism of the Taif Accords." [Beirut Daily Star, as quoted in March 21, 2005, "6,000 Syrian troops retreat to Lebanon-Syria border," themilitant.com, March 21, 2005.] Template:Wikisource Template:Leb-stub
See also
External link
- Financial Times Briefing: The Taif Accord (http://news.ft.com/cms/s/29713ec8-8b4d-11d9-ae03-00000e2511c8.html) March 2, 2005fr:Accord de Taef