Syria: A Crossroads For Terrorism

Country Has Pivotal Position In Region, And Increasingly Dependent On Iran

(CBS)  For many extremists operating in the Middle East, there's one hub, one road where most paths cross: Damascus, Syria, where a diverse mix of terror organizations blacklisted by the United States government converge to find refuge and the support of President Bashar al-Assad.

There are more than 15 various extremist groups based in Damascus, ranging from the small, secular Palestinian-backed PFLP to both Sunni and Shiite Islamic fundamentalist groups.

There's Hezbollah, the largest and best-armed militia in the world. It's financed by Iran and supported and used by Syria as a proxy army inside Lebanon. Since last year's war with Israel, it's also been hailed as a legitimate resistance movement in the Arab and Muslim world.

The largest group based in Syria is Hamas, whose Islamist Green Revolution swept to power in Palestinian elections last year and then seized control of the Gaza Strip after ousting the Fatah forces in violent street battles.

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Complete Coverage: America In Iraq: The Road Ahead

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On Thursday, CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Katie Couric met with Hamas leader Musa Abu Marzouk, who once lived in the United States - where he has been indicted for terrorist financing and is listed as a "Specially Designated Terrorist" by the U.S. Treasury Department.

"Why do you think the Syrian government has offered such strong and public support of Hamas?" Couric asks.

"We're facing the same problem, the same enemy," Marzouk says.

"Israel?" asks Couric.

"Yes, of course, Israel

Marzouk now operates from Damascus, where he directs much of the group's activities inside the Palestinian territories.

For people like Marzouk, Damascus is a safe haven where extremist leaders are granted diplomatic immunity along with channels for arms smuggling, banking and logistical support. It's a place where the three allies in the struggle against Israel and America are everywhere on display.

But most threatening of all to the U.S. are the hundreds of al Qaeda foreign fighters recruited throughout the Arab world who travel to Damascus, where they are met and escorted across the Iraq border to become human bombs.

"Syria has played a decisive role in frustrating the American project in Iraq in helping the resistance and the insurgency in Iraq, in bleeding forces in Iraq," says Sarah Lawrence College professor Fawaz Gerges.

Charged with fueling extremist fires to the east in Iraq, to the west in Lebanon, and to the south in Israel, President Assad has become one of the region's greatest jugglers. But it is a game that has left him increasingly isolated and dependent on Iran - his one strategic ally in the region.

[socrates392]

In other news, Indiana: Crossroads of America

[jlmcscanner]

One Hydrogen bomb dropped on Damascus and this would stop.

[oakishpines]

'' ... after the civil war, 80+% of the u.s. were self employed farmers ... now they invest in non charity and taxation ... ''

'' ... little militant kids can make a living marrying and slaving civilians, but militant adults disciple and chore little militant kids ... ''

'' ... denying access to congress to those who like beets and hairy women and naked boys would be unfair in a fair world ... ''

'' ... little girls can provide for my foods and tickles, they are very crafty and kind, but the general promised he would, but also said the army''s too busy taxing the world to be the few what feed it ... ''

'' ... i was # 3.5 billion, no one listened when i said ignorant naked kids are free from thousands years being made scarce, now i''m # 1 and my survival depends upon military skill and no one listens and most with agendas want me scarce ... ''

'' ... slaves were high dollar assets not typically battered much more than a $2000 computer ... wives and children, though, were liabilities and more likely to be put a day or few out of work ... ''

'' ... 3% of 3% can slave entire populations, 3% of 3% of 3% of 3% can slave the slaving population ... ''

'' ... don''t dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied round sick beds drifting farm trails and rallied round well beds racing farm trails ... ''

[johnshaft4]

Screw it...Lets nuke/kill everyone that doesn''t have blond hair/blue eyes and doesn''t love Jeezus...

[feelfree1]

So let me get this straight. The failing welfare/terror-State of Israel invades Syrian air space, the Syrians shoot at the invading aircraft of the offending Israeli terror-State, and CBS somehow concludes that the Syrians are the offenders, a "crossroads for terrorism" as they put it?

[andrew_693]

Isn''t the US a crossroads for terrorism? the kkk is a terrorist group, how come we never eradicated that group?they killed thousands of blacks and yet they live freely. The anti government militias are still active, they attacked the Olympic games in Atlanta 96, the bomb a federal building in OKlahoma and yet nobody seems to care about their terrorist christian organizations.

[jb01201a]

Well lookie here:
Isn''''t the US a crossroads for terrorism? the kkk is a terrorist group, how come we never eradicated that group?they killed thousands of blacks and yet they live freely. The anti government militias are still active, they attacked the Olympic games in Atlanta 96, the bomb a federal building in OKlahoma and yet nobody seems to care about their terrorist christian organizations.
So now its not only Georgies and ***** fault, but now its the christians to be blamed. You libs are stupid and moronic at the same time.

[libsluvsuvs]

So let me get this straight. The failing welfare/terror-State of Israel invades Syrian air space, the Syrians shoot at the invading aircraft of the offending Israeli terror-State, and CBS somehow concludes that the Syrians are the offenders, a "crossroads for terrorism" as they put it?


Posted by FeelFree1 at 07:31 PM : Sep 06, 2007
+ report abuse
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*****
what you just said is as straight as a banana..
here let me take a stab at this...

Syria has terrorist activities that are pretty much directed towards the Jewish State. The Jews knock it down before it gains momentum..

I think if Syria beleives in making SH*T STEW..well it would stink up the place and someone has to come and clean it up

[agnim]

"Syria: A Crossroads For Terrorism"

Why are we always playing dumb and in denial?

IT IS THE USA THAT IS AT THE HEART OF THE TERRORISM IN THE AREA!

Without the UNPROVOKED and continued invasion, hundreds of thousands wouldn''t have been slaughtered, dignified females wouldn''t have been made to prostitute themselves, and everyone and their dead wouldn''t be out for VENGEANCE to rid themselves of an ignorant, arrogant, and destructive invader.

We are lucky if only mere ''terrorism'' in the area is all that we have to worry about!

[shingles1]

Katie, stop pushing the propaganda here.
OUR military has repeatedly stated that the greatest number of foreign terrorists operating in Iraq have come from Saudi Arabia...OUR ALLY. Around 50% of all foreign terrorists captured by the US are Saudi nationals.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by jb01201a at 08:04 PM : Sep 06, 2007
+ report abuse
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because most bleeding heart liberals has this version called "selective democracy"

unfortunatly..under the constitution..the KKK has every right as the Boy Scouts or The Black Panther party to operate.

[agnim]

"One Hydrogen bomb dropped on Damascus and this would stop.
Posted by jlmcscanner at 07:11 PM : Sep 06, 2007"

Unfortunately for us America is filled with so many ignorant fools.

NO NATION dare drop a nuke today without retaliation for other nuclear nations; because they would be worried about being the next victim of such brazen act from a rouge nation!

So better think about eating all those nukes. They are not for use; and no one is intimidated by them either. Just ask the Vietnamese. LOL

[ronaldv3-2009]

Any country that uses force to change the politics of another country is a ''Terrorist Country''. And that would include The US, Israel, Syria, Russia, Iran...These countries don''t just make threats like North Korea, but take actions that causes the deaths of many innocent people.

[libsluvsuvs]

Posted by Agnim at 08:13 PM : Sep 06, 2007
+ report abuse
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****

I guess osama was unprovocked when his henchmen slammed a 747 against the wtc..

nice try..and I know who you are..and you are being watched.

[mattcbsmatt]

Damascus Dam *** I cus. I cus this dam *** it makes turds in water a floater a sinker a stinker : ) or explosive diarrhea : )

[shingles1]

Gotta love the faux dramatic "TARGET: SYRIA" style graphics too - this must be what people mean when they refer to the "liberal" media...har har.

And libsluvsuvs, very good (gold star for YOU!) - Osama did indeed attack the WTC.
And now he''s free to taunt the US from the wilds of western Pakistan, our Ally.

I forget again, why exactly are we in Iraq?

[feelfree1]

libsluvsuvs,

Re: "I guess osama was unprovocked when his henchmen slammed a 747 against the wtc.."

You guessed partially right. Aside from one fake "admission" video, there is zero conclusive evidence that Osama bin Laden was involved in any way with the 9/11/01 attacks.

www.zeitgeistmovie.com

[fascistusa]

CBS "news" is Columbia Broadcasting Company. Their symbol is the ALL-SEEING EYE. Washington is in the District of... Columbia. Columbia Music. Columbia Pictures. Columbia FREEMASONS.

Look at the back of a DOLLAR. See that pyramid with the EYE on top? The ALL-SEEING Eye? The FREEMASON SYMBOL??

Israel RULES The US, Australia, Britian, Russia, ect. ALL these countries Corporate Media. All the Police Departments. All The Military.

We''re being set up for 9/11 Part 2 and WW3. I say Bring It On. Let''s go. Stop Resisting. Let it happen. There''s more going on here then you idiots can imagine. Eliminating Millions of Americans is the BEST thing that can happen.

[donnie900]

Is this another thing the Bush administration never planned for? Ya shock and awe peace and figure people shouldn''t leave? Is there a nice cold lake somewhere someone could dare Bush to go jump in?

[j-whitman]

Bush Lover''s aren''t going to like this,,,, Syria is the olny country trying to teach & perserve Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.

[j-whitman]

libsluvsuvs,,,, Repbublican''s are watching you,, There''s a toilet cam in your toilet.... Courtesy of "Wide Stance" Craig

[jlmcscanner]

NO NATION dare drop a nuke today without retaliation for other nuclear nations; because they would be worried about being the next victim of such brazen act from a rouge nation!

So better think about eating all those nukes. They are not for use; and no one is intimidated by them either. Just ask the Vietnamese.

HMMM I thinkthe Russians were a little worried about our nukes... remember the Cuban Missile Crises ??? I think they backed down.We have to do is just use one on these terrorist nations and you think bejing would sacrfice it`s capital or russia sacrifice moscow for damascus or terhan ??? LOL ha ha ha not a chance.One... yes ONE U.S. Trident Ballistic Submarine could eliminate EVERY terrorist city and still have plenty left over for the russians or the chinese.LOL.The Japanese were the ultimate warrior nation during WW-2 and we hit them with little ones and they surrendered unconditionally.Iran, Syria LOL what a F`n joke !!! LOL

[seven-pesos]

southerners hope to elect another faith professing, conservative republican.

the south hopes to win the all time loser''s award.

jefferson davis lost his war...
johnson lost his war...
bush will lose his war...

if the south can lose just one more war,

they will beat the french for most wars lost, ever!

ha,ha,ha.

those idiot southern republican christian creeps ought to stay in church and out of politics

the south can''t be depended upon to do the right thing for america.

[jowand]

You guessed partially right. Aside from one fake "admission" video, there is zero conclusive evidence that Osama bin Laden was involved in any way with the 9/11/01 attacks.

www.zeitgeistmovie.com

Posted by FeelFree1 at 08:48 PM : Sep 06, 2007

Out of the mouths of babes, you have Osamas own words that Al Quaeda did it

[j-whitman]

jowand,,,, Who would have known ?? Too bad his catch was diverted for the Iraq War of Roses, we wouldn''t be seeing his face.

[jowand]

the south can''''t be depended upon to do the right thing for america.
Posted by seven-pesos at 09:13 PM : Sep 06, 2007

Hey Kim Jong, how yer doin'' tonight, have you eaten this week?.

[jowand]

jowand,,,, Who would have known ?? Too bad his catch was diverted for the Iraq War of Roses, we wouldn''''t be seeing his face.
Posted by j-whitman at 09:25 PM : Sep 06, 2007

Are you and seven-pesos blood relatives?

[agnim]

"I guess osama was unprovocked when his henchmen slammed a 747 against the wtc..

nice try..and I know who you are..and you are being watched.
Posted by libsluvsuvs at 08:21 PM : Sep 06, 2007"

Your ''watching'' isn''t worth sh!!t!
Why?

You are watching your ''osama and henchmen'' in the bad lands of NUCLEAR Pakistan, and haven''t do chit about it! LOL

Invading of Iraq was a sick case of school yard bullying, which only create terrorists that wouldn''t have been created otherwise.

[j-whitman]

jowand,,, Nope, but it doesn''t take a mental giant to sse not much has changed in 100 years.
.. In all parts of our country you have to just scrape off the smile & filter the BS --- Look at our politicians, the republicans are the worst, dems a very close second.

[j-whitman]

jowand,,, I do have to say the hate & ignorance is prevailing in the south though, in spite of the southern cooking.... There''s a lot of good people there but you can''t lock your doors anymore.

See ya later.

[agnim]

"HMMM I thinkthe Russians were a little worried about our nukes... remember the Cuban Missile Crises ??? I think they backed down.
Posted by jlmcscanner at 09:13 PM : Sep 06, 2007"

"Back down"?
Is that the brainwashing you received? LOL

The Kennedy Administration made a bargain with the Russians over arms in BOTH Cuba and Turkey -- Russian and America''s ally, respectively.

In other words, we back down in Turkey and the Russians back down in Cuba!
The wiser Americans know the truth. The dumb and more illiterate ones are high on PROPAGANDA AND THE USUAL PILE OF GOVERNMENT LIES!

[middleman8]

Any one that stands up to the US and tells them to go to h--- is labeled a terrorist. The only terrorist in this world are the ameericans. If their whole country disappeared, this would be one helofa better world. The US was founded by a bunch of people claiming religious persecution,
then they committed genocide on the real AMERICANS.Strighten out your own country before you start accusing any one else.

[jlmcscanner]

Agnim, Agnit, nitwit or whatever you call yourself.I just want to know...how are the russians doing these days.Remember Kruschevs "We Will Bury You" speech ??? Yeah sure they will.We replaced aging Jupiter missles that were set to be pulled because of our... or I mean my country developing the polaris SLBM.You are a hate America and blame America for everything person.Well say get the F out if you don`t like it.GO MOVE TO IRAN AND THEN TRY TO TALK B.S. THERE.You would never do that because I bet you are a coward.

[toolmangler-2009]

There are no winners in a Nook attack, eve the country using them will suffer radiation poisoning a few months after the conflict is over. If just one nation expends its nuuke arsenal completely the result will make the global warming caused by fossil fuels pale into insignificance and the Earth will cease to have life on it.

[cbs_oliver]

Yikes! It''s a barrage of propaganda!

Isn''t this stuff just recycled claims and labels from before and just after the invasion of Iraq?

I seem to remember this stuff from like 2005 and before.

Is CBS writing this stuff themselves or is it being scripted for them?

Who do they wink at when they tell these stories anyway?

[cbville72]

the south can''''t be depended upon to do the right thing for america.
Posted by seven-pesos at 09:13 PM : Sep 06, 2007

SEVEN-PESOS is a peso $hit

Thats the south for you folks!

[cbville72]

SEVEN-PESOS is a peso $hit

Thats the south for you folks!

Posted by cbville72 at 10:01 PM : Sep 06, 2007

[seven-pesos]

being the poorest region in america the south has no economical or financial power.

the south only has that religious power....

christian sheep by the millions.

and religion has nothing to do with christ.

religion is all about power...power and politics.

ha,ha,ha.

christ would cry if he could see the south.

nothing good comes out of the south.

[tnt1954]

this is not a snide comment. thank you for
all your hard-earned information and investigative reporting. its not easy to
''find things out''. very noble, very brave.
we can''t thank you all enuff.

[jlmcscanner]

Iran, Syria, Norh Korea are all going to be taken care of.The clock is ticking on them and I say we the U.S. use ALL the power at it`s disposal and elminate them asap.These B.S. countries days are numbered and I hope they **** the American people real bad and watch the little countries fall... for good !!!

[radiob-2009]

We have a commander in chief that is delusional, we have bloggers that are delusional,we have a "antagonist (OBL)" thats delusional.

Whats in your water ?

[seven-pesos]

when *** bush took over the government the united states had $0 debt.

but as soon as those southern republican christian creeps got the power

they started dipping their hands in the treasury.

faith based christian funding, war funding, tax cuts for the corporations funding...

oh well, that''''s the south for you, folks!

[jlmcscanner]

middleman8,

Where do you live ??? Mogadishu ??? Without America most of the world would be living like animals.Oh and if any ****** from another country does not like it then I say leave America and live like a third world terrorist in caves.LOL

[seven-pesos]

poor, uneducated, ignorant christian south wanted to get bush into the white house...

so the south could get its hands on the treasury.

now, amerika is $8.7 trillion in debt.

the south doesn''t care. the south has no money.

the rich, hardworking, educated blue states will pay.

the south provides the war and the debt.

war, hate, christian snakes, republican freaks...

nothing good comes out of the south.

[jlmcscanner]

seven-pesos ,

Your just pissed mexico had the c.r.a.p kicked out of it.All you America haters... do the rest of us a favor and leave for the countries we are about to smash with Nukes...

[j-whitman]

jlmcscanner,,, Where do you live on the planet Naboo ???? Join the military, see the world, meet some people.

[seven-pesos]

never a war the south couldn''t lose.

jefferson davis lost his,
johnson lost his
bush will lose his.

the south has lost every war they started.

idiot southern creeps are only good for sunday afternoon parades

in their tight-butt uniforms.

ha,ha,ha.

war, division, arrogance, phony christian creeps, crooked republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[fascistusa]

Dr. Strangelove.

YEE-HAW!!!! Picturing myself in cowboy hat riding a nuke.

CBS "News". Columbia Broadcasting. Symbol is All-Seeing Eye. Columbia University. Columbia Space Shuttle. Columbia Pictures. Columbia Music. D.C. - District of Columbia.

COLUMBIA FREEMASONS.

We''re being set up for 9/11 Part 2 and then WW3. Israel runs EVERYTHING. All the Media in Russia, The US, Britian, Australia, West Germany, ect.

They control the Police. The Military.

STOP RESISTING THE NEW WORLD ORDER. It''s Inevitable. Fahrenheit 451. 1984 Orwell. The Matrix Trilogy. Atlas Shrugged. ALL THE CHARACTERS GIVE UP.

Give up. It''s the only way.

[jlmcscanner]

seven-pesos

I don`t care at all about your opinions of the south%u2026 but get some new material !!!

[seven-pesos]

the south will vote for the candidate that campaigns on christian values...

it doesn''t matter if this candidate is the best qualified.

the south thinks that the most religious is the best qualified candidate.

that''''s how america got bush...

ha,ha,ha.

what a bunch of christian creeps that control the politics in the south.

ha,ha,ha....anti-american confederate creeps.

that''s the south for you, folks!