Personally, I have not been asked by the Syrian Lawyers Syndicate, where I occasionally spend some time discussing legal issues, including US sanctions targeting the civilian population of Syria for the purely political purpose of regime change, how to quickly fix this problem. But were my opinion to be sought, my legal memorandum would surely include the following brief recommendations.
One historically effective remedy with respect to similar violations of international humanitarian law that the Syrian government could immediately employ is for Syrian authorities to take retaliatory action, under standards of reciprocity, by closing the transit borders between Lebanon and Syria. This simple measure would also block Lebanon's shipments of its products to regional countries. A sort of tit for tat arrangement, until Lebanese officials, some deeply anti-Syrian for a variety of reasons, reconsider their violations of the 1951 Refugee Convention which prohibits their latest measure. Even though Lebanon has refused to sign the Refugee Convention, the country is nonetheless bound by all its provisions because this treaty's' provisions, signed and ratified by 164 UN member states is subsumed into international customary law, which binds all countries on refugee issues, regardless if they refused to formally adhere to its provisions.
If Lebanon has not lifted the visa requirement within 24 hours of being notified by Syria's Ambassador, Syria should issue a reciprocal visa requirement for all citizens of Lebanon.
Secondly, if Lebanon has not lifted the visa requirement within 24 hours of being notified by Syria's Ambassador, the government of Syria should block all Lebanese commercial traffic from entering Syria, whether its destination is Syria or any other Arab country. This would provoke a massive traffic jam of hundreds of trucks parked along the highways of the Bekaa Valley loaded mainly with perishable agriculture produce. One professor at the Lebanese American University estimates that within 24 hours, hundreds of trucks with frustrated owners, drivers, merchants, and a delegation representing the thousands of Lebanese families who live on agricultural exports to Arab markets, would likely descend on The Grand Serail and Lebanon's Parliament, carrying black tires to burn, in order to help remedy the problem.
This observer trusts that his proposed 'civilian protection' in exchange for 'commercial profits' reciprocity would fix the problem quickly, and Syrian-Lebanese relations could return to the situation of no-visas for Syrians or Lebanese at their borders and temporary life-saving passage to Lebanon for Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
Reciprocity applied by Syria in the current case of Lebanon denying safe haven to refugees fleeing for their lives would be a sound measure that may well encourage Lebanon to withdraw its barriers blocking Syrian refugees until they can return to the own country which hopefully, whether by ceasefire, freeze or negotiated settlement, will be soon.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
