"It is a mere promise that has yet to be fulfilled, and words which must be put into action," the An-Nahar said.

"This is not the first time that the Syrian president has promised, in public or in private, his cooperation to international and Western officials, who regard these as empty promises and have even spoken of losing trust," the newspaper added.

Annan announced Friday after talks with President Bashar Assad that Syria had pledged to cooperate with international efforts to stabilize war-devastated Lebanon after a month-long Israeli offensive which ended on August 14.

Assad, whose country is widely believed to funnel arms to Hezbollah, vowed to help implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 which brought an end to the hostilities, Annan said.

"The president committed to me that Syria shall take all necessary measures to implement in full paragraph 15 of Resolution 1701 (which) deals with the arms embargo and rearmament" of Hezbollah, Annan told reporters.

He said the Syrian leader had agreed to help secure the border with Lebanon by increasing the number of guards deployed there and by establishing liaison mechanisms with the Lebanese army and border police.

"Syria, which is isolated from the Arab world and the international stage, could not act differently upon receiving Annan," An-Nahar said.

"The West, particularly the United States, demands action, not words."
The French-language daily L'Orient-Le Jour quoted a statement from Druze leader Walid Jumblatt which "doubts Assad's promise to secure the border with Lebanon."

Jumblatt 's Progressive Socialist Party also accused Syrian border control officials of "facilitating the passage of weapons from Syria into Lebanon."

The Al-Liwa newspaper cited political sources as saying the "Syrian approach is a temporary strategy" because "Assad's current situation does not allow him to go against international consensus on Resolution 1701."

The United States and Israel accuse Syria and Iran of funneling arms to Hezbollah, which they consider a terrorist group.
Border

Relations with Lebanon
According to Annan, Assad is prepared to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon and delineate the border between the two countries. He added that he encouraged the Syrian leader to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, who is backed by an anti-Syrian majority. Assad told him he was ready to meet Siniora any time.

Most Lebanese are very skeptical about these promises, because PM Siniora has tried so many times to visit Syria and discuss these same issues but Syria has so far refused to meet Siniora and continues to attack him personally. Syria's allies in Lebanon including General Aoun have followed Syria's lead and have embarked on what some described as "coup" against the prime minister , by calling on him to resign, despite the statesmanship he displayed during the war and his success in bringing the war to an end.

"Obviously Siniora is not expecting a call very soon from Assad, inviting him to come to Syria" one political observer told Ya Libnan

Picture: Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Moallem ( L) with UN 's Kofi Annan

Source: Naharnet, Ya Libnan