Masnaa, Lebanon ? The difference between Syria’s entry and exit was stark.

Twenty-nine years ago, its tanks and troops stormed into Lebanon, fighting in the mountains and descending on Beirut to restore order to a city ravaged by civil war. On Tuesday, Syria’s last soldier quietly walked home across the border, ending the military domination.

Lebanon is at relative peace today. Many of the country’s one-time warring factions united in the wake of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on Feb. 14 — and the world, which once tolerated Syria’s intervention, told Damascus in one voice to get out.

The Syrian departure Tuesday was largely quiet, except for a modest military ceremony where military brass from both sides exchanged medals at an air base near the border.

A Syrian commander told Lebanese troops at the ceremony: “Brothers in arms, ’til we meet again.”

“Brothers in arms, thank you for your sacrifices,” a Lebanese commander told the Syrians.

Lebanese army commander Michel Suleiman pledged continued cooperation and credited the Syrian army with ending the 1975-90 civil war and rebuilding Lebanese forces.

Lebanese and Syrian commanders said their two armies would continue to cooperate closely, especially against their common foe, Israel, which is far superior militarily.

“Together we shall always remain brothers in arms in the face of the Israeli enemy,” Suleiman said.

The two dozen or so Lebanese who stood at the border were less charitable as they watched the last 250 Syrians leave — the remnants of a one-time mighty force of 40,000 that ran the country virtually unchallenged since entering in 1976 as peacekeepers.

“I feel like someone who was suffocated and jailed and has finally emerged from jail,” said Shaaban al-Ajami, mayor of the Lebanese border village of Majdal Anjar.

“We don’t want to say goodbye. We are happy to see them leave,” said Hussein Mansour, 27, who stood at the border holding the lone Lebanese flag.

With the Syrians gone, Lebanese now look ahead to an election that should prove freer of Syrian influence but still runs the risk of sinking into violence. The anti-Syrian opposition is hoping to defeat Damascus’s political allies at the ballot box.

Syria still wields influence here. Lebanese President Emile Lahoud is a staunch Syrian ally, Prime Minister Najib Mikati is a close friend of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the current parliament is dominated by pro-Syrians.

While the withdrawal relieves some of the pressure on Syria, Damascus still faces unrelenting U.S. demands to end its influence in Lebanon — and U.N. calls for the disarming of its ally, the Hezbollah guerrilla group.