"The walls have ears." For many middle-aged Lebanese people, this chilling phrase reflects the pervasive fear that defined life under the Syrian regime.

Arbitrary arrests, disappearances of political dissidents, and the constant threat of violence created a culture of fear within Lebanon that was enforced by neighbouring Syrian authorities.

Syrian forces first entered Lebanon on June 1, 1976, claiming to act as peacekeepers in the Lebanese Civil War, which had begun a year earlier. However, their presence stretched well beyond the war’s end, with Syria exerting significant military and political control over Lebanon for nearly 30 years.

Checkpoints manned by Syrian forces were clustered across Lebanon, censorship was rampant, and arrests made by the Syrian army targeted mostly communities loyal to imprisoned Christian leader Samir Geagea, exiled Army General Michel Aoun, and Sunni strongholds like Tripoli.

The Taif Agreement

The Lebanese Civil War officially ended in 1990 after the signing of the Taif Agreement in 1989, which sought to bring peace but instead cemented Syrian dominance over Lebanon.

The agreement introduced key reforms, including a shift in executive powers from the Maronite President to the Sunni Prime Minister, ensuring a more balanced distribution of authority.

It restructured Lebanon's sectarian political system to guarantee equal representation between Christians and Muslims. The agreement also called for the disarmament of militias, though Hezbollah was notably exempt, as it claimed to resist Israeli occupation.

The agreement stipulated a phased withdrawal of approximately 14,000 Syrian forces, but it granted them temporary authority, which they leveraged to entrench their control over the country.

While Israel occupied the south, Syria extended its dominance across the rest of Lebanon, including its economy. Post-war........

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