Syria advises its citizens to leave Lebanon by July 15

Jul 9, 2007, 12:19 GMT

Beirut- Syria has urged its citizens in Lebanon to leave the country before July 15 because of fears that the volatile political climate in the country will deteriorate, Syrian sources said Monday.

'In the past few days, all Syrian nationals were asked through the Syrian government to leave, as Lebanon's current political crisis may become violent,' said a Syrian construction worker who requested anonymity. 'We are asked to leave Lebanon before July 15.'

Hundreds of thousands of Syrian workers, mainly farmers and construction workers, used to work in Lebanon. But their numbers have noticeably dwindled since the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri, which many Lebanese blame on Syria.

July 15 comes one day before a special UN Security Council meeting which is expected to discuss the possibility of stationing international experts on the Syria-Lebanon border in order to monitor illegal arms trafficking to the Shiite Hezbollah movement, thought to be originating from Iran and Syria.

The Security Council is also expected to meet next week to discuss a key report on the assassination of Hariri, a development which may bode ill for Syria.

On July 5 the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that Syrian authorities had instructed all Syrian citizens residing in Lebanon to leave Lebanon in July.

Observers believe that the Syrian authorities may resort to closing the border with Lebanon.

The latest rumours have sparked caused anxiety and fear among the Lebanese.

'I am trying to take my kids out of Lebanon on July 10 to a nearby Arab country to observe the situation until the end of August,' housewife Amal Salameh said. 'If things stays the same I will return, if not I will take them back to the US.'

'There is probably nothing in it, but we're told to expect some major event on that day,' said Rana Naamani, another Lebanese housewife who decided to go to the mountains northeast of Beirut to stay away from the capital.

Almost a year after the blistering July 12 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Lebanon is mired in political and economic crisis and faces a deadly new challenge from an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist militia.

At the heart of the crisis lies the issue of establishing an international tribunal to try suspects for the killing of Hariri.

Six pro-Syrian ministers stepped down last November in protest at the government's approval of plans to set up the UN tribunal.

Since the resignations, opposition factions contend that the government, led by Prime Minister Fouad Seniora, has lost its legitimacy and all decisions made by it are invalid.

Some figures in the pro-Syrian opposition are now threatening to create a second government after they failed to reach an agreement to form a national unity cabinet Setting up a second government may prevent accord on a parliamentary vote, due in September, to elect a successor to outgoing Syrian-backed President Emile Lahoud.

Analysts believe that a settlement to the crisis is now beyond the Lebanese and must be found between Washington, Paris, and regional actors Damascus, Riyadh and Tehran.