That leaves one foreign army still occupying Lebanese soil. And there's no sign Syria's leaving any time soon. A quarter-century after being invited in to save the Christians, as many as 35,000 Syrian troops remain in northern, central and eastern Lebanon. Syria dismisses the "foreign" label since, in the words of its late leader, Hafez Assad, "the Syrians and the Lebanese are one and the same people." And they're quick to point out that, unlike Israel, Syria was invited into Lebanon. Furthermore, its current role is outlined in a 1991 "Lebanon-Syria Treaty of Co-operation". The ties that bind are both political and military.
Many Lebanese just don't buy it. They feel the Syrians have overstayed their welcome and they want them out.
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