Annan hopes for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon soon

JERUSALEM, Aug 30 (Reuters) UN Secretary General Kofi Annan today said he hoped Israel would withdraw all its forces from Lebanon once 5,000 UN-backed peacekeepers are on the ground, a target due to be reached within days or weeks.

''We have about 2,500 troops on the ground and we are going to try to double that number and get to 5,000 in the coming days and weeks,'' Annan said after meeting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

''I hope that as we do that, the Israeli withdrawal will continue and by the time we are at that level, Israel will have fully withdrawn and we will have an effective, credible force that we can continue to build on.'' REUTERS SY BST1220