Al Akhbar Newspaper: Secret Diplomatic Movements Near Lebanese Borders With Syria

The report pointed out that the UN delegation first conducted a field survey to all border points, ports, and illegal border crossings with Syria. This act aimed at viewing how these borders can be used by displaced Syrians suspected to cross if Syria witnesses security developments or escalating popular movements, or if the Syrian authorities close the legitimate crossings with Lebanon.

According to the report, the delegation met with Bekaa personalities active in the civil action for clarifying the possibility of establishing camps for suspected displaced Syrians, and where the best places for such camps could be. As the delegation listened to the views of some of these figures, the latter excluded the possibility of flowing displaced Syrians to the Bekaa Valley, especially that the Bekaa areas adjacent to the Syrian border didn't witness yet any popular movements demanding the elimination of the Syrian regime, as it also did not witness any acts of Syrian security that may lead to the escape of Syrian families toward Lebanon.

The report also referred that this "international "delegation toured the area adjacent directly to the borders with Syria in the district of Rashya, where it held various meetings with figures in the region recording observations, and indicated specific geographical points on which camps could be set or can be used as transit points in exceptional purely humanitarian cases.

According to the report, this international reconnaissance came out with an impression that the probability of displaced Syrian people waves to flow to the Bekaa Valley is "very low". The questionnaire was supplemented by similar exploring to other bodies funded and operating under the supervision of foreign embassies in Beirut.

A Lebanese security source informed Al Akhbar news paper that "the number of Syrians crossing to Lebanon fell by 70 percent at various legitimate ports." "However, there are a very limited number of Syrian families that have legally entered Lebanon to Baalbek and the surrounding area and set up with their relatives away from the media hype."

The source explained that "the legitimate Lebanese movement towards Syria also declined by an average that exceeded 60 percent since the start of the popular and security developments in Syria. This transit decline was accompanied by a significant retreat of the Bekaa business activity with Syria."