Beqaa valley is renowned world wide. Not for touristic purposes mind you. Its for drugs and weapons smuggling. Months ago the government said that a large part of the poppy cultures were destroyed. A trip to the Beqaa will prove otherwise.
I did not read any statistics on the country's drug issue, but talking with people from the Beqaa, I understood that Lebanon is more of a producer than consumer. Its like an unwritten rule, almost an honour code to sell to others and not locally. The problem is real and should be addressed, though I doubt it will be anytime soon. What has been done so far is dust in public eye.
Lebanese Internal Security Forces captured three trucks loaded with marijuana in the eastern Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah announced it was ready to cooperate with the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) in that very stronghold, the Bekaa.
Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, which is headed by Speaker Nabih Berri, have allegedly said they will not protect outlaws or cover up violations in the Bekaa Valley, the Lebanese press reported on Saturday.
The opposition-aligned As-Safir on Saturday wrote the ISF initiated a week-long crackdown on smugglers, criminal havens, and narcotics dealers and producers in the Bekaa Valley. [NOW Lebanon]
I always found it very odd [to say the least] that Hizballah, an Islamic party, covers and takes benefit of drug commerce. The same goes for AMAL headed by Speaker Nabih Berri. Drugs invite other type of problems and neither Hizballah nor AMAL have the tools to solve them. These two parties should be held accountable for whatever goes wrong in their strongholds whether it is Beqaa, South or the capital's suburbs. If they enjoy having the hegemony over those communities they should also bear the responsibility. Then again, its Lebanon. The politicians here have no clue what accountability means.
