European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Verdant. Seen from above it appears As a Broad wave of Graen pushing up the spine of the country Between the Eastern flank of the Lebanon mountains and he Western Lank of the ant Lebanon mountains. Sitting at an average Altitude of 3,000 Teal it is drained by the Licaisi Lebanon s major River. It is in he Spring that the Bekaan is at its Besl heavy with the Promise of lha riches of the Fertile Valley Earth grapes Green vegetables and the Fields of Grain on which Imperial Rome depended or food. Bedouin came in Grant numbers to the Bekaan Whon Lebanon was Al peace. Travelling with thousands of sheep they walked for More than a week irom Syria to cast their Black Goatskin tents on the edges of the Fields. And there they would remain through most of the summer grazing their animals and giving thanks to Allah Lor this Cool and Green Refuge irom the blistering heal of the syrian desert. At night in those Summers of pre War years the rums at the Small cily of Baalbek would be flooded in soft Light and with the colonnade of the Temple of Bacchus As a backdrop festivals were held Wilh performances by such world Lamous companies As the comedies Francaise and Britain s Royal Ballet. And now the Bekaan and All of Lebanon lie scored and quartered in a dazzling setting of sea and mountains and tree shaded paths along which prophets and poels have passed. Few if any tourists travel the 50-mite-Long Roule Between Beirut and Baalbek to walk among the ruins and stand in Awe of great temples raised to Jupiter Bacchus and Venus now there Are checkpoints along the Roule manned by syrian soldiers. They Are often bored and testy insulting motorists and threatening them Wilh detainment. One journalist recalls the common of his Driver after being stopped in the Bekaan by a syrian Soldier with a russian made Kalashnikov automatic assault Rifle Slung Over his shoulder look Ai him the cow. He can t read or write. All he can do is shoot that Damn certainly there is some thin Hope that the Day will come when tourists Feluren to Tho Bekaan and Baalbek More and More the likelihood of a permanent partitioning of the Valley Between Syria and Israel takes on new meaning. No one knows what will says Bou Saada. I think Syria would prefer not to partition the Bekaan but go on controlling it eth or directly or through a third meanwhile some thing in the Bekaan go on As they have for decades. One such activity involves narcotics for the most important crop this most productive agricultural Region of Lebanon is hashish. Cultivation of cannabis has become a multimillion Dollar business hashish is derived from the same Indian hemp Plant cannabis saliva that produces marijuana. It is a stranger drug than marijuana and Bekaan hashish is of High Quality. It is grown openly and deals of Sale and distribution Are conducted without ear of government interference. The Dusl raised by the comings and goings of army vehicles has stunted the grape vines and Lanks and other heavy pieces Rumburg through the Orchards Havo crushed Many Ruil Trees. But the hashish continues to grow Feudal lords control lha areas in the Northern Bekaan where the hashish is grown. Long before the fighting snarled these clans had Ihler own militias and they Prelec Ted their turf Wilh whatever violence was necessary. Through the years attempts have been made to Hall the production of hashish. All have failed. The Bekaan remains a Patchwork of farms but much of the produce now goes to Syria rather than to the markets in Beirut also the Valley has become heavily scarred by lha savagery unleashed there. It has been bombed and riddled with the hot Lead of bullets and those who work lha land Are fearful that recovery May be Long in coming. Many lebanese ear that the lighting has no end. Calm May prevail Lor a Lew Days or a week but in is ways shattered Wilh a new Spurl of violence. There is not setup in the tension thai grips the Bekaan nor is there Likely to be As Long As other nations assign their proxy wars to the Valley soil. Bui whatever happens the Bekaan will continue to offer the richest taste of history in the ancient land. Ii was at the Heathen stronghold Baalbek named Lor the phoenician deity Baal that the romans raised Ihler National goo gift photo it roman mint dominate the Small lebanese City of Baalbek Ota main Elly in Tho Bekaan lines monuments in Allol the Middle East building some of the world s tallest columns using perhaps the largest Stone blocks Ever fitted Inlo an architectural design. The Bekaan was then a main thoroughfare Lor conquerors and Lor caravans travelling from Egypt to Syria to Daesun l seem so Long ago when children were Al play in the acropolis at Baalbek when cameras nol guns were Al the ready when a visitor could join the company of ghostly gods. But Lor the Farmers Here and indeed Lor All the lebanese who came to regard the Bekaan As a Beauty Mark on a blessed nation darkness Ell Over the Valley in what is Tike a lifetime ago Tripoli under control of syrian Todl a is also abase for sunny Tunde mentalist Grupi. Who is where from Khalide North into Beirut Southern suburbs Stu Mot Tomt dominate. Anul is the main Tore in the suburbs. Where the party Al Gad has Foo How. Trie coastal highway.tromjiyehiokha�e.i5 under Dru control Asare the shut mountains. Anti Arafat front Lorth tone also represent these palestinian pos taxis Fiat been bombed recently by israeli its in do Sidon area Are concentrated in i a Weri and Mai of Al pm pc which la Redby Ymir Artie. Syllm a Cfred Palai Ewan group compete with Arttist present is a Demerit front Tor liberation of in West Babul. A Jill and to Ednith Murgui Are the my powerful forces. Moilon unit of the be Mcanea army wid syrian Eom lera also patrol. In but but. Chriatian Contin gent of in it pm a
