A line of cars at the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. In addition to the official borders, there are multiple illegal crossing points between the two countries. (Credit: NNA)
The visit to Damascus by Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Menassa, scheduled for Wednesday, was postponed at the request of Syrian authorities, for reasons that have not yet been specified, a source at the Grand Serail confirmed to L'Orient Today.
The delegation was to include, in addition to Menassa, the director of General Security, Hassan Choucair, and the head of army intelligence services, Tony Kahwaji. According to a Lebanese source cited last week by AFP, he was to meet with Syrian Defense Minister Mourhaf Abou Qasra.
Menassa would have been the first Lebanese official to visit Syria since the formation of Nawaf Salam's government in February. This visit aimed to discuss the particularly porous border situation between the two countries, which, in addition to smuggling operations, was marked by clashes in February and March between 'clans,' reputed to be close to Hezbollah, and the new Syrian security forces.
A Syrian government source told AFP that the postponement was “due to preparations for the formation of a new government” in Syria. An Islamist-led coalition seized power in Damascus on Dec. 8. The new leaders previously announced that the country would form a government on March 1 to succeed the current interim cabinet, but its formation has still not been announced.
Lebanon shares a 330-kilometer border with Syria without official demarcation in several areas, making it quite permeable and conducive to smuggling. The new Syrian authorities announced, in early February, the launch of a security operation in the border region of Homs to "close the smuggling routes for weapons and goods," while the Lebanese army regularly announces the closure of illegal border crossings on the Lebanese side.
Hezbollah, which fought alongside the now-deposed regime of Bashar Assad’s troops during the civil war in Syria starting in 2011, exerted its influence over large portions of the border. It has been weakened by its war with Israel since 2023.
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