The Lebanese government is currently facing a new challenge that involves its ability and determination to prioritize national interests over Syria’s attempts to assert its own.
More than a decade after their installation, the border control towers along the Syrian border, overseen by the Lebanese Army and built by the British government, have suddenly become a source of concern for the Syrian regime.
Recently, the latter sent a memorandum to the Lebanese authorities, complaining about these structures “which constitute a threat to Syrian internal security.” The argument put forth by the Syrian authorities is as follows: “The Israeli government may exploit the information obtained by the British authorities.”
Lebanon’s response was swift. During a radio interview on Sunday, Caretaker Minister of Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, ever eager to defend others’ interests, certified that “in no way will these towers become sources of hostile acts against Syria.”
Regarding Lebanon, the minister reiterated that the purpose of their installation is “to control the border and prevent smuggling operations and the movement of illegal immigrants.” However, it’s widely known that Lebanon has failed miserably in this regard, mainly due to a lack of political will to effectively control its borders.
Bou Habib explained that his office is awaiting the Lebanese Army’s response to the Syrian memorandum so that it can reply accordingly. He vaguely indicated that “discussions on these important issues are underway at a very high level internally, aiming to find appropriate solutions to preserve Lebanon’s stability.”
According to Georges Okais, the most appropriate response to the Syrian memorandum is to “build more control towers and strengthen border control.” In other words, Lebanon should “assert its sovereignty, even if this is overdue,” he wrote on his X account. He added, “Only this way can we respond to Syria’s ongoing offenses.”
It should be mentioned that Syrian complaints come at a time when discussions are underway — in the event of a Gaza ceasefire — regarding a resolution in southern Lebanon, which would entail addressing Lebanon’s porous border issue.
During his early February visit to Beirut, British Minister of Foreign Affairs David Cameron offered potential solutions for addressing issues in southern Lebanon to Lebanese officials. Among the suggestions was the installation of control towers along the southern border. These towers, to be established following the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, would enable the Lebanese Army to monitor the area up to five kilometers on either side of the southern border. Cameron outlined that this initiative could initially begin in the South and eventually extend to cover the entire Lebanese border with Israel and Syria.
It is relevant to specify in this context that Syria, which has consistently refused to delineate its borders with Lebanon and facilitate a resolution of the border dispute with Israel in Shebaa and Kfar Shouba along the southern border, stands to gain the most from maintaining porous borders.
The Lebanese population experienced, at its expense, the consequences when the economic and financial crisis hit the country. Lebanon practically subsidized the struggling Syrian economy by smuggling state-subsidized products. Furthermore, the presence of hundreds of thousands of Syrian economic refugees in Lebanon has taken place due to countless illegal border crossings, which also facilitate the movement of Hezbollah fighters and weapons, all of which significantly undermine Lebanese sovereignty.
It remains to be seen how the government will respond to the Syrian regime.
