News reports out of Damascus say that Syrian President Bashar Assad is expected to announce the pullout of some Syrian troops from Lebanon. He is expected to address the Syrian parliament on Saturday amid increasing international pressure and threats led by Washington. According to Reuters, Assad is expected to announce that the remaining Syrian troops in Lebanon will be redeployed close to the border. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Friday warned Damascus to withdraw from Lebanon or risk becoming a “pariah” state. Washington also raised the threat of punishment if Syria failed to pull out, with U.S. officials suggesting possible unspecified sanctions and a tougher U.N. resolution. We will have more on this later in the program.