Syria: political, social, and economic overview

¶ … Syrian-Lebanese Conflict

Syria and the Possibility of Further UN Action

Syria and Lebanon were established after World War I from the territory known formerly as Damascus. Lebanon and Syria do not have a long history of diplomatic relations and remain politically independent. Currently, Syria faces pressure from the international community regarding alleged meddling in the affairs of Lebanon. Syria also faced allegations of supporting terrorist groups. These allegations were investigated at the request of the UN. The Mehlis investigation found that the Syrian government's actions against the Lebanese are criminal. This study will explore the possibility for further UN actions against Syria for their role in these activities.

The key point of contention, according to the UN Security Council is Syria's involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. In October of 2005, eleven of the fifteen nations comprising the Security Council an agreement was reached to help Lebanon investigate the assassination of their leader. The UN demonstrated solidarity in this resolution. The Mehlis Investigation revealed that Syria made several false claims regarding its involvement in the assassination of Hariri.

The assassination of this leader caused considerable destabilization in the Middle East. The UN Security Council feels that making demands upon Syria to cooperate represents a united front. This show of solidarity is meant to place pressure on Syria to cooperate with the investigation. Provision of inaccurate information was viewed as deception on the part of Syrian officials. The decision to supply deceptive information implies, but does not prove their role in the assassination. This sparked the UN to search further for information that placed the blame on Syria.

The UN resolution required Syria to take into custody Syrian officials or individuals that were suspects in all phases of the crime. The bombing that killed Hariri was classified as a "terrorist act." The resolution stated that if Syria did not comply with all of the terms of the resolution, further action by the UN would be taken. The Mehlis Investigation represented the defining document that would determine the role that Syria took in the assassinations. The Syrian government went to great lengths to discredit the Mehlis report. These actions created a considerable amount of suspicion that resulted in stronger language from the UN regarding compliance.

The purpose of the UN is to make certain that every possible attempt at a peaceful resolution to a situation is taken before resulting to more forceful measures. Article 41 of the UN Charter states that sanctions are the first line of defense against member states that do not comply with the terms of a resolution. Under this article sanctions can result in complete or partial interruption of all means of communication and disruption of diplomatic relations. This would be the first action taken against Syria for lack of compliance with the re solution. Should sanctions and the diplomatic procedures outlined in Article 41 fail, Article 42 gives the UN permission to take military action against the country that is in non-compliance.

The Mehlis Report determined that Syria played a significant role in the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. It further determined that Syria's role in the affair was criminal. The UN resolution that followed made its intentions clear and gave specific actions that Syria could take to avoid further actions. Syria's actions in the beginning were evasive and non-cooperative. These early actions were meant to avoid a war between Syria and Lebanon. However, despite these early attempts to avoid a conflict, war broke out. Since that time, much of the effort of the UN has been spent attempting to end the fighting and restore diplomatic relations.

In early 2007, UN Resolution 1701 called for a cease-fire after 34 days of fighting. This resolution called for several actions from Syria, one of which was to stop arms shipments from Hezbollah guerrillas. It called for the unconditional release of two Israeli soldiers captured by militants, which was the key event that triggered this round of fighting. Information that Syria was not in compliance with the terms of the resolution came in the form of Lebanese photos of arms being smuggled by Syria.

Syria's track record for compliance with the UN resolutions has not been reliable. They have continually violated the resolutions in secret. Lebanon's evidence that Syria has not complied with the terms of the resolution is compelling and tends to cast the blame for continuing disquiet in the area on Syria. The latest in the actions between Lebanon and Syria came on December 12, 2007 when a car bomb killed Brigadier General Francois al-Hajj, who had been democratically elected to fill the vacant Presidency in Lebanon. Immediately, the world blamed Syria for trying to meddle in Lebanon's private affairs. Initial reactions from Syria were complete denial of any knowledge of the act and condemnation of the perpetrators. However, this has been Syria's reaction to almost every attack since the hostilities began. Investigations are still pending.