BEIRUT // As the Syrian government's assault on protesters continues, countries across the Arab world and beyond are considering the longer-term, regional effects of the violence.
Israel, the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia are all watching intently, but perhaps none more closely than Lebanon, where there are growing concerns about the destabilising effect a continuation of the Syrian uprising will have across the border.
"Syria and Lebanon are twin countries - if something happens in Syria it is bound to reverberate here," said Hilal Khashan, a professor of political science at the American University of Beirut. "This has always been the case because of the interconnection between the two countries."
What began as largely peaceful protests demanding more political freedom has spawned a full-blown government crackdown on the Syrian towns and cities where dissent is most severe. Deraa remains under siege by the Syrian military, which is believed to have cut off access to water and electricity. Activists say more than 42 people have been killed there since Monday, bringing the number of deaths to more than 450 in the six weeks since the first protests began.
While some countries are trying to increase pressure on Syria to end the crackdown, the UN Security Council remains divided, after it failed on Wednesday to agree on a statement condemning the violence.
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Alexander Pankin argued that outside interference could worsen the crisis. "It is extremely important to focus all attempts on avoiding such a dangerous turn of events, especially as Syria is a cornerstone of the Middle East security architecture," he said. "Destabilising this significant link in the chain will lead to complications throughout the region."
Lebanon, the only Arab member of the Security Council, was among the countries that blocked any condemnation of the Syrian government's use of force. Nawaf Salam, the Lebanese ambassador to the UN, told the council that "the hearts and minds" of the Lebanese people were with their Syrian neighbours, while also citing support for Syrian President Bashar al Assad's pledge to carry out reforms.
Lebanon has long been a battleground for regional powers. Although Syrian troops withdrew from Lebanon in 2005, ending a 29-year military presence in the country, Damascus still has massive political sway in the country.
Complicating matters has been the political stalemate in Lebanon. Three months after being appointed prime minister designate, Nejib Miqati has still been unable to form a cabinet. Analysts believe the crisis in Syria has contributed to the political impasse in Lebanon.
"Syria doesn't want the cabinet to be formed right now. They are weighing their options," said Prof Khashan. "If the crisis [in Syria] drags on, it will definitely have an impact on Lebanon. If that happens, the Syrian authorities will do their best to make sure the situation in Lebanon explodes."
In Lebanon, the political dynamic is increasingly being shaped along the lines of the Western and Saudi Arabian-backed March 14 faction, pitted against the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hizbollah movement and the March 8 alliance.
Hizbollah has framed the Syrian crisis as a struggle between the government and extremist groups, as opposed to a popular uprising similar to those in Egypt, Tunisia or Bahrain.
In recent weeks, Syrian authorities have accused members of outgoing prime minister Saad Hariri's Future movement of meddling in the crisis. Future movement MP Jamal al Jarrah was accused of providing money and weapons to anti-government protesters, something he has denied.
Last weekend, an anti-Assad demonstration was held by the Islamist movement, Hizb ut Tahrir, in the Lebanese city of Tripoli. Meanwhile, yesterday, there were reports of hundreds of Syrians fleeing on foot across the northern border into Lebanon, after violence broke out in the Syrian town of Tall Kalakh.
Ghaleb Qandil, a Lebanese commentator, said that if the crisis in Syria becomes more sectarian, there will be "major repercussions" for Lebanon, which is governed by a power-sharing system along religious lines.
The impact of a prolonged conflict would also hurt Lebanon's economy, he added.
"The stability of Syria is very strongly tied to that of Lebanon," he said. "All the Lebanese are worried about what is happening in Syria."
zconstantine@thenational.ae
With additional reporting by the Associated Press and Agence France-Press
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
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Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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