Decision to control crossings “disappointing”

Lebanese political forces called on the government to decisively close illegal smuggling crossings between Lebanon and Syria, while criticizing the “Supreme Defense Council” decisions to curb smuggling operations, describing them as “disappointing”.

Lebanese politicians accused the Hezbollah militia of using most of the crossings for smuggling; In order to achieve security and financial interests. ”

During the session on Wednesday, chaired by President Michel Aoun, the Supreme Council for Defense in Lebanon decided to intensify monitoring of the country’s border areas, control merchandise smuggling operations, and direct the closure of all border crossings. illegal, along with a comprehensive plan to establish military, security and customs control centers at the borders. .

Aoun asked not to tolerate this problem and the need to take maximum measures against violators and to determine the quantities of materials consumed locally as a necessary means to control the smuggling of materials and goods.

The issue of illegal crossings in Lebanon returned to the forefront after the Hezbollah militia expanded its activities to include the smuggling of “diesel and flour” into Syria, despite the country’s dire economic situation.

According to a previous report by the Supreme Defense Council of Lebanon, there are 136 illegal crossings along the country’s borders. Opposition parties accuse the Hezbollah militia of controlling smuggling.

The Lebanese economy incurs enormous losses due to the smuggling of goods that are carried out through illegal border crossings with Syria, where the smuggling of large amounts of fuel was recently detected; Especially diesel and wheat from Lebanon to Syria.

Illegal weapon that protects crossings

Representative Muhammad Al-Hajjar, a prominent leader of the Movement of the Future, criticized the decisions of the Supreme Defense Council in Lebanon, regarding the fight against smuggling, saying: “The decisions do not fulfill the required purpose, and do not they’re going to stop smuggling. ”
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Al-Najjar explained in an interview with “Al-Ain News” that “the Council did not issue practical decisions that directly address the thorny problem of smuggling, and what happened is just a review of the reality of the crisis, which everyone knows” .

He emphasized that “smuggling wastes billions of dollars in the Lebanese state treasury, through smuggling of goods and food, as well as thousands of tons of flour subsidized at crossings protected by an illegal weapon,” and noted that ” the volume of fuel smuggling with subsidized fuel and gasoline is estimated to be around $ 4 billion annually. “”

The leader of the Future Movement considered that “the speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, before the Supreme Defense Council meeting, obstructed the decisions of the Council that were supposed to be taken, through Nasrallah’s declaration that There is no solution to the smuggling problem, except by reference to the Syrian regime. ”

“Al-Hajjar” accused Hezbollah of “trying to avoid reaching an effective treatment to stop smuggling, and its continued protection for these crossings, which means the continuation of the problem and the loss of billions of dollars in the state and the bill paid by the Lebanese, while Hezbollah talks about the corruption files. ”

Very disappointing

In turn, Samir Geagea, head of the Lebanese Forces Party, said what came out of the Supreme Defense Council meeting was “very disappointing,” adding: “This is something we have heard over and over again in the past and has not yielded any practical results on the ground. ”

Geagea said in a series of consecutive tweets through his official Twitter account: “What resulted from the Supreme Defense Council meeting means that there is no decision and more delay, which in practice also means continuing to lose hundreds million dollars annually due to ongoing smuggling operations, as we ask for help. ” From the outside there are a few dollars.

The Chairman of the Forces Party called for “a clear and decisive political decision by the Lebanese army government, internal security forces and all security forces concerned about the closure of illegal crossings between Lebanon and Syria.”

For his part, former minister representing the Forces Party, Richard Qiomjian, said that “Hezbollah has financial and security interests at known crossings.”

Qiyumjian noted that the smuggling and illegal crossings file, as well as the displaced Syrians file, is used to blackmail Lebanese according to the well-known formula: either to yield and complete normalization with the Syrian regime or the situation It remains the same.

The message has arrived … no crossings have been established

The Democratic Meeting (Parliamentary Bloc of the Progressive Socialist Party) came in line to criticize the decisions issued by the Supreme Defense Council in Lebanon to control smuggling operations.

Deputy Bilal Abdullah, a member of the Democratic Rally, said: “The message came, without control of the illegal and volatile crossings, which exhaust our economy, our currency and our industrial and agricultural production, without normalization with the regime in Syria.”

He added sarcastically: “The ball is on the court of the majority government, as it prepares to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund, armed with geniuses of economic affairs, with a suspicious mix of left-right.”

The deputies of the Progressive Socialist Party had requested the search for smugglers and officials to cover those responsible for these crossings.

Lebanon suffers from a financial and economic deterioration unprecedented in the country’s history, as well as a severe shortage of reserves in US dollars, which the Central Bank of Lebanon has limited to import fuel, wheat and medicines only, as strategic goods that are essential .