Reflections on Arsal & Syrian refugees in Lebanon by a correspondent based in Syria.

“Arsal is a small Lebanese village. It was just a tiny farming town. When the Syrian crisis began, someone (probably in SNC) decided to build a Syrian refugee camp there. As you know, these refugee camps are powerful political tools for the west, the MSM, and the various enemies of Syria.

It was important to have a refugee camp in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. To show the world that there are civilians who are fearful for their lives inside Syria. The MSM does not like to show the Syrian internally displaced people living inside Syria. That is not so interesting. They prefer to support the propaganda that people are leaving Syria because it is unsafe for them. Another case in question is Gazientap refugee camp in Turkey where the inmates (whose passports have been confiscated) wish to return to Idlib but are being kept in Turkey to add fuel to the Interventionist propaganda.

Notice that no Syrian refugee camp has been established in Iraq, even though they are our neighbour. Why? Because Iraq did not participate in the plan to destroy Syria, unlike Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan . Lebanon is a special case, in that they have no leader and no functioning government. However, there are still many there who pledge allegiance to Saudi Arabia, and the exiled Saad Hariri.

Right away I saw Arsal as a very big problem, because they were all FSA and the women and children and old folks of the FSA fighters. MSF (Doctors without borders) opened a clinic in Arsal for the exclusive purpose of treating FSA fighters and sending them back to the battle fields. Of course they treated the FSA families as well, and I feel very strongly that women and kids should not suffer because of their father/husband having been a terrorist.

Then, as the years went by, Arsal came to be infiltrated with other terrorists, not only FSA. Over time the FSA had pledged allegiance to Jibhat al Nusra, Al Qaeda and finally ISIS. The names and allegiances became diffused and murky.

Some of the other groups started sexual abusing the FSA women and girls, and quite possibly boys as well. The FSA couldn’t do much to defend their families, because the other groups outnumbered them and were heavily armed. In my opinion, the refugee camp in Arsal could end up in a blood bath as FSA and the their fellow terrorists battle over women, sex and property. I am sure the people who have lived through these years there have a terrible story to tell.

Recently, the Qalamoun fighting in the hills of Syria-Lebanon border has driven more terrorists into Arsal. It is just a matter of time before Lebanese resistance and others will battle the terrorists inside Arsal. I feel badly for Lebanese civilians who will have suffered inside their own country, because of the US backed Syrian refugee situation.

There is a prominent Lebanese parliament member who is campaigning for all Syrian refugees to be sent back to SAFE areas in Syria (which might mean the Coastal strip). Of course, we also can’t overlook the many Lebanese who are making huge amounts of money because of the war, and they hope the war never ends. “