DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) – Many Syrians yesterday voiced support of their president’s announcement of a pullback from Lebanon, adamantly insisting that the action was not a result of outside pressure but rather a continuation of the gradual withdrawal process.

And on the streets of Damascus, there was also unanimous agreement that Lebanese – who have recently been demonstrating by the thousands for Syrian withdrawal – are largely ungrateful to Syria for its assistance in stabilising the country following its 1975-90 civil war.

“The president made it clear that the army has been withdrawing for some time,” said Issam al-Jazaeri, 50, as he watered a plant in his carpet shop. “The decision did not come under pressure.”

President Bashar Assad on Saturday announced to parliament that Syria would move its 14,000 troops in Lebanon to the border in a two-step pullback. It was not clear whether the soldiers would completely leave Lebanon.

Assad said the number of Syrian troops in Lebanon has dropped 63 percent due to five redeployments since 2000, the latest in September.

His announcement followed weeks of intensifying international pressure to leave Lebanon.

As Assad spoke, thousands of flag-waving Syrians watching on video screens outside the People’s Assembly cheered their strong support. The rare public demonstration in this tightly controlled country was likely meant to counter the daily protests across the border in Beirut, where hundreds of Lebanese gather nightly to chant anti-Syrian slogans.

“Withdrawals, as the president said, began in 2000, so maybe speeding up these moves came under pressure but this does not mean that the decision to withdraw was taken under pressure,” said Imad Fawzi Shueibi, a Syrian political analyst who routinely expresses the views of the Syrian government.