U.N. Team: Lebanese-Syrian Border in the East Remains Penetrable
Progress in fortifying Lebanon”s border with Syria has been minimal, the independent U.N. team assessing the monitoring of the boundary said, adding that the eastern border remains "penetrable."
The Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT), which was set up in April 2007, said in a report that some positive steps have been made on the strengthening of the northern border as well as minor advances in other areas.
"In general, however, Lebanon has not yet succeeded in enhancing the overall security of its borders in any significant manner," the report noted.
The four-member team was dispatched by U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon to examine progress made in enhancing border management and security as called for in Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah.
The report said that official border crossing points have yet to fully implement the recommendations put forward by the team”s report last year, after its first mission to the region.
"There has been virtually no progress in the situation along the eastern Green Border and the Green Border remains as penetrable as it was during the mission of Team I," it said.
It urged the Lebanese government to make more efforts to secure the country”s borders, adding that authorities must establish a framework with timelines and performance targets.
"This plan should clarify the end state that the government of Lebanon wishes to achieve with regard to its border controls system and the ways and means of achieving this, including a description of the phases and stations along the way," the team said in its report.
It also reiterated the need to put in place the recommendations of its previous report, including the creation of a multi-agency force focusing on arms smuggling, the deployment of international border security experts and the establishment of a dedicated border guard agency.