Lebanese-Syrian Relations Sour

It would appear that Arab nationalism is not as inevitable as people tend to believe seeing that tensions are still running high between Lebanon and Syria. What's interesting to me here is that one would assume the policy coming out of Damascus is that they should be doing everything they can to keep Lebanon in the fold. Trying to passive agressively punish Lebanon for rightfully seeking independence from Syria ulitimately creates complications in the Middle East vis a vis the US and Israel. Why should Lebanon feel compelled to stand with their Arab bethren in lockstep regarding the US and Israel when now there is an opening to receive the benefits of siding with the "infidels." It's certainly not unheard of as both Jordan and Egypt have come to a place where their countries stand apart from the collective Middle Eastern fold. Again, by taking this route, Syria complicates things in the Middle East. Complication is good. It's better for people to stand around and think through difficult issues than to have a clear definition of things and then go right to blowing something up.

Here's the story:

Sheltering from the searing heat in the shade of his truck, a red-faced and sweating Ali Bakri glared angrily at the endless line of cargo trucks stranded on the Lebanese-Syrian border.

"We are being treated like animals. We have no food, no water to wash. How long can this go on?" the 35-year-old Jordanian trucker said Monday.

Fresh fruits are turning to mush as customs officials carry out excruciatingly thorough searches, spending up to an hour with each vehicle. Previously, Syrian officials gave only cursory searches and often simply waved drivers through. Truckers now wait in line a week or more.

The drivers and their cargo are a casualty of the souring relations between Lebanon and Syria since Damascus was forced to relinquish its three-decade-long military grip on Lebanon three months ago.

Many Lebanese say Syria has clamped what amounts to a land and sea siege on its tiny neighbor to exact revenge following the withdrawal of thousands of troops. But the Syrians say the strict measures are aimed at catching saboteurs and militants.
France, a close Lebanese ally, has criticized the Syrian border actions. U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen briefed European Union foreign ministers on the dispute Monday and urged Lebanon and Syria to end the impasse.

Lebanon's only land outlet is via its shared border with Syria, through which 60 percent of Lebanese exports pass on their way to other Arab and Gulf markets, officials say. The dispute is estimated to be costing Lebanon over $300,000 a day.
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