Name? Hassan Diab
Westphalian identity? Lebanese
Age? 61
Why is he in the news? Prime Minister Diab has had quite a bit on his plate since coming to office with a pandemic, protests and now an even greater plunge for Lebanon’s economy.
Why do we care? While you (and the media) have been busy following and participating in the BLM protests, demonstrators in Lebanon have once again taken to the streets, calling for the resignation of their government as the country’s economy continues to tank.
Why should you care? Because for every fall in Lebanon’s currency there is a rise in poverty in the nation, especially for the nearly one million Syrian refugees taking refuge in the country. Unfortunately, Lebanon’s economic crisis has severe impacts for Syria’s humanitarian crisis as Assad’s regime relies heavily on aid and trade transported through Lebanon.
Who else cares? As always, the US has a part to play in this. With the newly constructed ‘Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act,’ the US aims to pressure and sanction those who aid Assad’s regime; primarily Russia and Iran. However, the Act could also foster further political instability and conflict in Lebanon over the controversial issue of conducting relations with Syria.
Any further comments? Lebanon and Syria have long enjoyed cross-border trade between their two nations. Although much of formal trade has disappeared with political unrest in both countries, informal trade has continued to flourish. By making trade more difficult through the Caesar Act, commerce between the two will be driven further underground, making smuggling more difficult yet more necessary. The Act will effectively deny the Assad regime the resources (financial and material) that it needs. That’s what we want right? Well, we want to help resolve the crisis in Syria, but not at the expense of creating/worsening one in Lebanon or Syria. Putting out one fire by taking water away from another fire won’t fix anything; it will just encourage people to seek new firefighters (maybe from the East this time…).
