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Syria's Smuggling Problem

[TIME] Andrew Lee Butters - In recent days, anti-Syrian politicians in Beirut have been crying wolf about an increase in Syrian soldiers on the border with northern Lebanon. They worry that the buildup is a prelude to Syrian incursions on the pretext of stamping out radical Islamist fighters there, but really aimed at reasserting Syrian hegemony. The Syrians say the buildup is part of an attempt to clamp down on smuggling, and there is reason to believe them. Syria's social subsidies on diesel and gasoline have created a big black market in oil smuggling that is one of Syria's biggest financial problems. The Syrian government estimated that the 1.5 billion liters of diesel smuggled out of the country last year accounted for 15% of all Syrian consumption. Mules can carry 100 liters each. A mule train can cross the mountain paths at night without any guides, since they know the routes by memory. "With two mules, you don't need to work for a living," said one Syrian gas station owner.
2008-09-26 01:00:00
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