Syria Calls for Cooperation in Securing Lebanese Border
Syria’s Foreign Minister, Walid al-Moualem, has called on Lebanon to cooperate in securing their nations’ border. Moualem declared that “The question of the border between Syria and Lebanon needs two actions: delineation (of the frontier) and Syrian-Lebanese security cooperation,” adding that at present “Nobody can control the border with Lebanon.” Border security has long been an issue with little progress, although both nations have agreed to resume work on the issue in compliance with a 2006 UN resolution. The issue’s prominence has surged recently as a result of mounting tension and growing concern of violence and Islamic militancy in the north of Lebanon, as well as an ongoing smuggling trade across the permeable border. Last week, ostensibly in response to these concerns, Syria deployed hundreds of troops to the area. Critics warn, however, that security concerns may serve as a convenient pretext for further intervention.
Stefanie Demetriades
