by Adnane Zaka
DAMASCUS - Syria's pro-government press lashed out at the United States on Thursday after Washington's latest broadside against Damascus, predicting that pressure to withdraw troops from Lebanon was only the start of an "orchestrated" campaign.
Meanwhile, opposition protestors staged a rare protest action in the centre of the capital against emergency laws that have been in place for the past four decades, but were overshadowed by a new pro-regime demonstration.
US President George W. Bush maintained Washington's tough rhetoric on Wednesday, saying Damascus must completely withdraw its military from Lebanon and end what he called Syria's "heavy-handed" sway over the Beirut government.
But the state press hit back, saying that while Syria would fufill its commitments this would not be enough for the international community, which wanted even greater concessions from Damascus.
"As President Assad predicted in his speech to parliament the orchestrated commotion surrounding the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and the cacophony of voices have resumed their offensive which has nothing to do with the situation on the ground," said the government daily Tishrin.
President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday pledged to pull Syrian troops in Lebanon back to the border, provoking the ire of the international community which had wanted to see a clear timetable from Damascus for a full pullout.
UN special envoy Terje Roed Larsen, charged with putting in place Security Council Resolution 1559 which calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, is due in Damascus at the weekend to push for a clear withdrawal timetable.
"Syria will honour its obligations from the Taef accords and Resolution 1559 and will do so quicker than its detractors think," Tishrin said.
"But will this be enough for the problem to be resolved and outside forces who claim to be defending liberty in Lebanon to stop making demands? Certainly not, the problem is much deeper and what is happening is only the start."
Ath-Thawra also asked questions about the future after a full withdrawal, which according to Syria's ambassador in the United States will be completed ahead of Lebanese parliamentary elections in May.
"Who has the magic wand? ... So many questions are being raised over the days and weeks to come.
"The forces which have an interest in an escalation will never stop their lies, as their objectives go much further than a Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon."
Around 100 human rights activists and representatives of Syrian political parties gathered Thursday outside Damascus courthouse but were upstaged when hundreds of pro-Assad supporters emerged to stage their own demonstration.
"We have come together to ask the end to the emergency law, but it seems that they do not want the voices of civil society to be heard," one lawyer who took part in the action told AFP.
"God, Syria, Bashar", "by our soul and our blood we will sacrifice ourselves for you Bashar", "Damascus, Beirut, a single eternal people," chanted the pro-government marchers.
On Wednesday, tens of thousands of people rallied in Damascus in a show of support for Assad. The emergency law, passed just after Assad's Baath party came to power in 1963, has never been rescinded.
03/10/2005 13:50 GMT