My point is not that the Syrian regime has been an active supporter and director of Sunni extremists moving into Iraq and Lebanon. To encourage them is to let them put roots down in your own country and they definitely don't want that. One need only look at Pakistan to see how well that works.
As for border control, comparisons to the U.S. are meaningless. It isn't that the Syrians should be able to control the border (they can't). However, an autocratic regime built on the support of a strong and often brutal internal security apparatus SHOULD know generally what kinds of people are passing in and out of the country. If you can't manage that, then you aren't likely to stay in power long (especially when you are an ethnic minority in a majority Sunni country). So what I am suggesting is that the Syrian government (at some level) was very likely aware of Sunni radicals moving into Lebanon.
The point being that Syria has an interest in seeing the current government in Lebanon fall. If they can find an agent willing to help that process along, why wouldn't they exploit it. It lets them deny they were involved and it allows Nasrallah to take power with clean hands.
Well, and Saddam was aware that Zarqawi was in the country. Only, the US propagandists forgot to mention that he actually wanted Z to be killed, but couldn't get him. Even secret services of police states don't know everything. Another thing is that while US propaganda focused on foreign insurgents and among them on those coming from Syria, in truth more came via Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Same 'failure' there.
It lets them deny they were involved and it allows Nasrallah to take power with clean hands.
The useful idiot version has more clout, but I don't see al-Qaida types willing to be agents for Baath. If Syria used pawns, then more obscure ones. BTW I don't think they would want Nasrallah. Nasrallah is too independent, and even the ties he has are more to Iran than Syria. They would want Berri. (There is a long history of Syrian intrigues to get Hezbollah to accept a minority role in a Shi'a coalition with Amal.) *Traitor*, n. A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
