Bashar al-Assad agreed on Monday to withdraw his troops from Syrian cities by April 10, but nobody really thought he'd do it until, surprisingly, they actually started withdrawing. At least that's what an unnamed Syrian official tells the Associated Press. It's an early report, and bears watching because as recently as Tuesday morning Reuters was reporting that the fighting in Syria hadn't slowed despite the cease-fire agreement, with government forces shelling Homs and the Western border town of Zabadani. As Reuters reported, "Syrian opposition figures as well as Western governments have made clear they are not convinced that Assad, who has failed to honor past commitments, would keep his word." But at least initially it seems he is adhering to a the cease-fire plan worked out by Kofi Annan, which calls for Syria to withdraw its forces from its cities, followed by an immediate rebel withdrawal.

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Adam Martin