Christian Science Monitor
April 26 2005
With Syria out, Lebanon clout grows
The last Syrian troops left Lebanon Tuesday, ending 29 years of
military domination.
By Nicholas Blanford | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
RAYAK, LEBANON – Elite Syrian paratroops in pressed camouflage
uniforms and red berets marched alongside their Lebanese counterparts
at an old airfield here Tuesday in a colorful farewell ceremony that
formally ended Syria’s 29-year military presence in Lebanon.
The departure of the last batch of Syrian troops was a historic
moment for the Lebanese and underlined just how dramatically and
quickly Syria’s grip on this tiny Mediterranean country has weakened
after 15 years of near-total domination.
With the pro-Syrian establishment in Beirut continuing to unravel by
the day, any hope that Damascus might have harbored of retaining some
level of influence in Lebanon appears to be fading fast. “The
question should be what influence will Lebanon have on Syria,” says
Michael Young, a Lebanese political analyst.
“Syria was stronger militarily but it was never stronger politically,
economically, culturally … in all the domains Syria imposed its
order through force,” Mr. Young says. “At this point, to my mind,
Lebanon is stronger.”
Without the pervasive and sometimes ruthless Syrian military
intelligence, known as the mukhabarat, Damascus lacks the means of
maintaining its tight control over Lebanon’s vibrant politics and
economy.
Some of Syria’s ruling political and military elite amassed fortunes
in Lebanon, muscling in on business deals with Lebanese partners and
raking off profits from numerous ventures such as cellular telephone
networks and casinos. Syrian laborers, too, relied on Lebanon for
work, their remittances providing a welcome boost to Syria’s
cash-starved economy.
But the era of easy pickings for the Syrians appears to be over.
Syria’s one-time loyal allies in Lebanon are turning their backs on
their former masters in Damascus, playing to the new mood of
independence to ensure political survival.
And what is seen by many as a humiliating withdrawal for Syria may
even force the government led by Bashar al-Assad to consider swift
political reforms to ensure the survival of his regime. Some
observressay the emergence of a sense of independence in Lebanon may
begin to resonate among Syrians who have been calling for democratic
reform in growing numbers.
The vanishing Syrian influence in Lebanon goes much deeper than the
departure of 14,000 troops once stationed here. The once-feared
chiefs of Lebanon’s intelligence and security services, who upheld
Syrian rule here, are toppling one by one as the new Lebanese
government promises to hold them accountable for alleged past
misdeeds.
On Monday, Jamil Sayyed, the powerful head of the General Security
service, announced his resignation, blaming “changing political
developments,” while Raymond Azar, the chief of Lebanese military
intelligence, was reported to have fled with his family to France.
The opposition blames the security and intelligence chiefs of
colluding with Syria in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, a former
prime minister, whose death in February triggered a wave of
anti-Syrian demonstrations that ultimately led Syria to withdraw its
troops.
A United Nations team arrived in Damascus Tuesday to begin a
verification mission to ensure that Syrian forces and intelligence
personnel have fully departed Lebanon in compliance with UN
Resolution 1559. The Syrian government has pledged to cooperate with
the UN and has handed over maps, documents, and aerial photographs to
confirm its withdrawal.
The team is expected to issue a preliminary report in two weeks,
according to a UN spokesman in Beirut.
Although it should be an easy task to discover if the military
positions and intelligence offices have been vacated, it will be more
difficult to ascertain whether all Syria’s undercover agents have
departed. “I don’t think the UN team can do it,” says a European
defense attaché, speaking after the military ceremony in Rayak. “We
can’t tell if they have all gone, so I don’t see how they can.”
Washington also has voiced concerns that Syria could still interfere
in Lebanese affairs if its intelligence agents remain in Lebanon. A
State Department official was quoted by Agence France Presse as
saying that while the Syrian army appeared to have departed Lebanon,
“I think there is considerable more skepticism about the intelligence
assets.”
The Lebanese army has moved into most of the abandoned Syrian army
and intelligence positions in the Bekaa Valley. Relaxing in the
morning sun, three Lebanese soldiers sat on stools in a courtyard
beside several farm buildings. The soldiers turn away visitors,
saying the area is a closed military zone.
The farm, known as the “Onion Factory,” sends a chill through the
hearts of local Lebanese, since it was the main interrogation center
for Syrian military intelligence in Lebanon. “This place has a dark
reputation,” says a truck driver from the nearby village of Majdal
Anjar, refusing to give his name. He recalls working near the Onion
Factory two summers ago.
“It was terrible because I could hear screams coming from inside,” he
says. “I could see about 15 people blindfolded and kept out in the
hot sun.”
Syrian symbols have been painted out on the walls of the building,
although the departing intelligence agents spray-painted one wall
with several slogans and quotations from the Koran. “The Arab nation
won’t die,” reads one slogan.
In the nearby ethnic Armenian town of Anjar, headquarters since 1976
of Syria’s military intelligence service, there is barely disguised
delight at the departure of the Syrians.
“We are very happy to see them go,” says Rafi Tamorian. “They might
be our brothers, but they have been treading on our hearts for too
long.”