Middle East Online, UK
April 25 2005
Lebanese eye new era of self-reliance
Bekaa Valley residents are looking ahead to new era of Lebanese
self-reliance as Syrian troops leave.
By Joseph Barrak – ANJAR, Lebanon
As the last Syrian soldiers trickle out of Lebanon after 29 years of
domination, residents of the Bekaa Valley are looking ahead to a new
era of Lebanese self-reliance and control of law and order.
After the Syrians with their dreaded intelligence services have gone,
they say they hope friendship and trade will replace domination and
fear.
“I cannot even find words to express our happiness, but it does not
mean that we do not want good relations with Syria,” said Ali Hamdan,
a trader in mobile telephones along the main highway leading to
Syria.
Syrian troops were packing up and heading out of Lebanon on Monday,
restoring an air of independence to the tiny country which has been
in the military and political grip of Damascus for 29 years.
The last soldiers are due to leave Lebanon after a farewell ceremony
on Tuesday in Rayaq airbase in eastern Bekaa where Syria had recently
regrouped its troops ahead of the complete pullout requested by the
United Nations.
Lebanese troops took up positions in the main eastern cities of the
Bekaa Valley ahead of the final Syrian pullout and erected
checkpoints along the highway to Syria.
The Lebanese army has also deployed inside the border town of Anjar,
the notorious headquarters of the Syrian forces in Lebanon which was
declared a “military zone” Monday afternoon.
“We want our own army to protect us, we have had enough of foreign
armies. It is time for us to become really independent,” said Ali
Hassan, referring to the deployment of various foreign forces since
Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war.
“We have bad memories because the Syrians controlled the country
through the mukhabarat (intelligence services).
“We were constantly afraid, a lot of people went missing, some were
tortured, but we hope that this is all history now,” explained a
neighbor who asked not to be identified.
The man smiled as he added: “Once they leave, we can talk more
freely. We will tell you all about it. We waited for 29 years, we can
wait for a few more hours.”
Salim Nassar was ecstatic.
He finally recovered his house which had been occupied by Syrian
forces for over two decades on a hilltop overlooking the commercial
town of Shtaura.
“I had to rent an apartment in a nearby building and pay the rent for
20 years. Today, I took my son to see his ancestral home, which he
was never been able to approach,” he said.
Nazira, the manager of a clothing shop on the main highway, said that
“since Hariri’s assassination two months ago, we have not seen a lot
of tourists or Syrians because they are afraid to come here.”
“We hope that the Syrian withdrawal will be followed by stability and
that tourists, including Syrians will return,” she said.
“We want prosperity for the Syrians as much as for us. We want to
have good neighboring relations, based on trade and not intelligence
and security.”
Her friend, Samira, said: “We are extremely happy to see the Syrians
leave, and I suppose they are very happy too. I am sure they would
rather be home, with their own people.”
In Anjar, Syrian troops toured shops and restaurants to bid farewell
to their old neighbors for decades in this sleepy all-Armenian town.
“We are very happy because we will get back the tourists who have
been afraid to come here. We have great fish, good Arabic coffee and
beautiful Islamic archeological ruins,” said restaurant manager
Raffi.
In a shop in Anjar, Syrian soldiers shook hands with the owner, staff
and other curious bystanders.
“God be with you,” said the owner.
“Come back to buy from us,” said the employee, before adding in a low
voice to a journalist, “as a civilian, of course.”