[Reuters] Syria has appointed its first ambassador to Beirut. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman accepted the diplomatic credentials of Ali Abdul Karim Ali on Tuesday. Syria has faced international pressure to establish formal diplomatic ties with Lebanon, the smaller neighbor it dominated for decades until the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri led to a Syrian troop pullout. Syria had always resisted establishing formal ties with Lebanon, citing the countries' shared history and close ties. Syria and Lebanon were carved out of the Ottoman Empire by imperial powers France and Britain in the 20th century.
2009-03-25 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive