THE BORDER THAT MOVES WITHOUT A TREATY: Fortifications, Buffer Zones and the Future of Southern Syria
THE BORDER THAT MOVES WITHOUT A TREATY: Fortifications, Buffer Zones and the Future of Southern Syria Core thesis: International borders are typically determined by treaties, maps, and diplomatic recognition. But in southern Syria, a border is "moving" without the need for a single piece of treaty paper. Through the digging of trenches, the establishment of new military outposts, and the creation of buffer zones, physical control over territory continues to expand. This article is not about accusing any particular party. It is an investigation into how the physical alteration of the landscape on the ground creates a new political reality that may never be reversible by any diplomacy. --- HOOK Where is the actual border line? On official maps, the line is drawn in bold blue ink. It is the line agreed upon in the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement between Israel and Syria. But if you stand in the villages of southern Syria today, that map is no longer relevant. You will see...