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Report: Lebanon-Syria Border Control 'Impossible' Impacting Economy, Security
"The main factor that makes it very difficult to completely control the Lebanese-Syrian border is that it is very large (about 360 km) and intertwined in many locations," military sources told the daily on condition of anonymity. Lebanese officials have long recognized the existence of illegal crossings between Leb and Syria dating back to the 1970s, through which people and goods are smuggled, which negatively affects the security and economy of the country without succeeding in putting an end to this phenomenon, said the daily. But the recognition by Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil a few days ago of the existence of more than 124 smuggling points in Leb, he said "threatens the economy of the country, contributes to the public deficit and reduces imports." He also spoke about the "contribution of some parties" in these violations and whether there was a serious official decision to terminate them. The military sources said that despite all of this, the situation has greatly improved especially after the "Dawn of Outskirts" battle launched by the army in 2017, that expelled holy warriors of the Islamic State  ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... terror group from Lebanese border land. They pointed out that currently, the border control is greatly dependent on control towers, barriers and patrols, because deploying army elements on the entire border is not possible because of the limited potentials. "Absolute control of the border is almost impossible, mainly in North of Leb, where the land is largely intertwined," they said. People and goods are smuggled through illegal crossings between Leb and Syria, especially after the closure of the border to displaced persons. They are forced to issue official residence permits and pay fees. They also smuggle cigarettes, electronic devices, fruits and vegetables, marble, poultry and other goods. Due to smuggling, the Lebanese government loses an estimated $600 million in customs expenses. During the discussion of the draft 2019 state budget in Cabinet and during the recent meetings of the Higher Council for Defense, a decision was made to control these crossings to ensure that these funds go to the treasury and reduce the deficit. Posted by: trailing wife 2019-06-23 |
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