The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Beirut - Syrian troops will start to pull out of positions in Lebanon on Monday, Lebanese Defence Minister Abdul-Rahim Murad said. The pullback will begin after Syrian President Bashar Assad and Lebanese President Emile Lahoud meet in Damascus on Monday to discuss the logistics of the withdrawal, he said Sunday. There are conflicting reports whether the Syrian soldiers will leave Lebanon completely or move to the Bekaa Valley, close to the border between the countries. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, said the Syrian presence has helped Lebanon. Hezbollah, which has carried out attacks on Israel, was supported by Syria. Rome - Pope John Paul II appeared in his hospital window for three minutes on Sunday. He waved and made the sign of the cross to several hundred worshippers assembled in a small square outside the Gemelli Polyclinic, but he didn't speak. IstanbulI - Riot police in Turkey used truncheons and tear gas to break up an unauthorized demonstration to mark the upcoming World Women's Day. Police ordered the group of about 300 protesters to disperse, and many of them left peacefully. But a group of about 100 refused, prompting police to spray tear gas and charge them, the Anatolia news agency said. Television footage showed officers hitting protesters and hauling those detained onto buses. There was no immediate word on the number of injured.
