Yet the withdrawal of the last Syrian soldier and intelligence officer this week, after almost three decades in Lebanon, is a momentous occasion in modern Middle Eastern history that will have a profound impact on the balance of power in the region.

For Syria, the move, conducted after months of intense American and international pressure, will be seen as further evidence that the regime in Damascus is weakening and losing its influence over a region where once it was dominant.

For Lebanon, the withdrawal of Syrian forces, five years after the retreat of Israeli troops, closes the chapter on direct outside involvement in the country’s affairs.

For both nations, the change offers opportunities, as well as dangers.

For the first time since civil war broke out in Lebanon in 1975, the Lebanese now have a chance to elect a truly democratic government in polls scheduled for May 29, when the people hope finally to consign the legacy of their bitter conflict to history. But it will now be up to the Lebanese themselves to overcome deep sectarian divisions and prove that they can function as a truly unified nation. For the first time in modern history, the Lebanese will no longer be able to blame anyone else for their own shortcomings.

For Syria, the withdrawal should ease international pressure on Damascus, which intensified after the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese Prime Minister. But Damascus is still not off the hook. A new UN investigation into Hariri’s murder will study compelling evidence that points to Syrian involvement in the killing.

Syria faces further pressure from the United States over its support for militant Palestinian groups and allegations that it has been secretly encouraging the insurgency in Iraq. The democratic reforms under way in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine are also raising expectations for similar changes in Syria.

There are signs that President Assad will use this summer’s conference of the ruling Baath Party to unveil sweeping reforms that could help his beleaguered regime to break out of its isolation.

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