Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss urged security officials to take responsibility for their failure to prevent the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and resign from their posts to prevent the country from descending into conflict. In a statement issued Wednesday, the former premier said that disagreements between the government and the opposition were no longer insurmountable, as both parties had agreed on the Taif Accord as a basis to resolve their issues. Hoss called on security officials to step down "as soon as possible" in response to the popular demands of the people and to save the country from a serious crisis. He asked: "Is it too much for them [security officials] to make a brave step and resign in order to meet a national demand?" He added: "Lebanon's fate should not remain in the hands of a bunch of employees."Concerning the Syrian withdrawal, Hoss said it was no longer an issue as Syrian troops and intelligence forces have already begun to leave the country in compliance with the Taif Accord. He said: "The withdrawal has become a fact, especially since the Higher Syrian-Lebanese Council has approved it and UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed Larsen was satisfied with Syrian President Bashar Assad's decision."