A week now, and all attention focused on the “Sea of ​​Tripoli”, where the smell of death is still wafting from the “death boat”, which deceived the victims that it would take them to a “safety beach” away from Hell, only to discover belatedly that there is “Hell” even at sea.

But before the boat of death incident, who was paying attention to the “death boats” at the illegal crossings between Lebanon and Syria? Who was protecting them?

How was a Syrian reaching the Lebanese coast from Syria, whether in Tripoli or Qalamoun? Who secures the “safe passage” from Syria to Lebanon through the illegal crossings? It is well known who handles the illegal crossings, it is Hezbollah, which is “not ashamed” of this, but rather is proud. Therefore, controlling the “death boats” starts from the land borders and not only from the sea borders. Accordingly, the control of the “death boats” starts from the land borders and not only from the sea borders. Unless this control takes place, it is vain to think about putting an end to the smuggling operations that start with Captagon, weapons and foodstuffs, and do not end with human trafficking.
But let’s be realistic, smuggling operations require “cooperation” from both sides of the border. On the Lebanese side, there are the de facto forces, i.e. Hezbollah, so how can smuggling be controlled while the Party is its protector? And thus, before discussing how to prevent the death boats from sailing from Tripoli or Qalamoun, it is necessary to prevent human smuggling from Syria to Lebanon.

Otherwise, smuggling will continue to operate, and the death boats will continue to sail, not to a “safety shore” but to the bottom of the sea where there is no safety but death and darkness.

What is shameful is that the illegal land crossings are known by all authorities: the judicial authority, the executive authority and the legislative authority, so why this neglect?

Why this denial? Why bury heads in the sand? And when the strife falls, voices rise, but it is always too late!

O authority, rather, O authorities, controlling smuggling requires an anticipating act, not weeping after it is too late.

As for the Lebanese victims, their only “guilt” is that they believed that there was an “authority” watching over their conditions.