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To: SunkenCiv

I understood it to be the opposite -- that Lebanon is feeding Syrian coffers. I've seen estimates of 600,000 to 1 million Syrians work in Lebanon at menial labor and send money home.

And Syria takes away est 2 billion more per year in smuggled goods and bogus imports.

Syria is in big economic trouble.


12 posted on 03/01/2005 12:37:35 AM PST by dervish (Europe should pay for NATO)
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To: dervish

There's a lot of money being squeezed out, but Syria is bleeding itself to death because of its occupation of Lebanon. If Assad carried out reforms, such as withdrawing from Lebanon, exiling quasi-independent terrorist groups, getting rid of compulsory national service, cutting military spending (what on Earth does Syria need a topheavy military for? In case Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, or Jordan invades? Obviously it's around for Baathist expansionism), and concentrated on defoliation, irrigation, and agricultural problems, he could transform Syria.

Syria lost the Golan because of its own provocations against Israel, plus an undermotivated and undertalented military. It has failed to regain it due to its own political idiocies, such as demanding an unconditional return of the Golan as a requirement to engage in talks with Israel. The above reforms should be insisted on by outside powers such as the US and the EU.

What will happen instead is, the Assad/Baathist regime will dig in even more, and continue to deteriorate, along with Syria itself. It's a no-lose situation for the rest of the world, provided Syria doesn't develop nukes. Israel keeps a sharp eye on all military developments there, so not much chance of the latter.


14 posted on 03/01/2005 10:07:23 AM PST by SunkenCiv (last updated my FreeRepublic profile on Sunday, February 20, 2005.)
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