(NOW-Lebanon) Andrew J. Tabler - The Lebanese government estimates there are 1.2 million Syrian refugees in the country. That accounts for roughly a quarter of Lebanon's 4.4 million population. The UN estimates that 96% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are Sunni Muslim. Because an estimated one-third of Syrian housing has been destroyed, which may take up to a decade to rebuild, Syrian refugees in Lebanon are a long-term problem. Lebanon's Interior Minister Marwan Charbel recently asserted that many refugees are in fact rebel fighters and therefore are a threat to Lebanon's security. The writer is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2013-12-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive