Border Prostitution

The Syrian President is yet again threatening to close Syria's Lebanon borders. It is time we start thinking of long-term alternatives.


Remember just over a year ago when the Syrians were so pissed off they banned Lebanese trucks (most of them were land bound for the gulf countries) from crossing our common borders? Bashar seemed to have enjoyed the economic suffering so much that he is threatening a redux. Bashar likes being partners with Israel: They impose a blockade on air and sea, and he imposes one on land.

Assad’s excuse was that spreading UNIFIL soldiers alongside Lebanon’s borders with Syria would be an “act of aggression”. Does this look like the behavior of someone with nothing to hide? Our P.M did the right thing by responding forcefully that Lebanon will only look after its interests, and that it’s not in Syria’s interests to upset the international community.

Assad’s wickedness aside, the Lebanese should start thinking about long-term structural adjustments for their economy to rely less on the Syrian borders. Economists will say that the other available trade routes are prohibitively expensive. The answer is that as long as the Syrian regime is in power, we have no reliable way of getting our apples to Kuwait and the Syrians can abuse us whenever they feel like it.

What we can do now is try to convince Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan to threaten to shut their borders with Syria if it shuts its borders with Lebanon. With a little American help, all three countries can be convinced. But longer term solutions should be found.

When I wrote the incidence last year, a reader suggested that we start thinking of our country as an island, like Cyprus. What a shame.

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