evidence: Qasr, Lebanon – Abu Ali Haq is a fighter on a crucial battle line in Syria’s ruinous civil war, and he’s locked in to what he sees as an existential struggle for his village and his kin living here. [...] The reason Hezbollah’s buttressing of the border is causing such consternation among the Syrian rebels is because it is tipping the balance of power in the government’s favour in the battle for the town of Qusayr, 8km into Syrian territory. Control of Qusayr and the surrounding areas is crucial for the opposition fighters to smuggle weapons and men from Lebanon into Syria. For the Assad regime, Qusayr is a vital route north from Damascus to its stronghold in the coastal regions.