BootsnAll Travel Community

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/world/middleeast/09le...?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

So do most people on here think now is not a good time for an American to go to Lebanon and Syria? I only wanted to hit Beirut and Damascus really. However, whenever I mention these places, particularly Syria, people here look at me like I am crazy and warn me over and over again.

Thoughts?

Given current events, I don't think I'd be heading to Lebanon at the moment. The situation is volatile, and it could swing either way.

As for Syria...Syria is involved in Lebanon much the same way as the US is involved in Iraq. Actually less, since they no longer have an active military presence. They have interests there, but it's a one way street. Instability doesn't flow back into Syria. I wouldn't be at all worried about visiting Syria, and it is a fabulous country. And while Damascus is wonderful, going just to the one country would give you some time to see some other places as well.

In the middle east, countries just don't get much safer than Syria. This is, of course, partly because of the authoritarian nature of the government. I've long concluded that visiting a country doesn't mean condoning its government (I think if that was my logic, I could only ever go to a handful of countries in Europe), and from a pure security perspective, authoritarian regimes are effective.