Syria: U.S. Attack Kills 8 In Border Area

Helicopters Raid Farm In Syrian Village; Al Qaeda Officer Was Target Of Rare Cross-Border Attack

(CBS/AP)  U.S. military helicopters launched an extremely rare attack Sunday on Syrian territory close to the border with Iraq, killing eight people in a strike the government in Damascus condemned as "serious aggression."

A U.S. military official said the raid by special forces targeted the foreign fighter network that travels through Syria into Iraq. The Americans have been unable to shut the network down in the area because Syria was out of the military's reach.

"We are taking matters into our own hands," the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of cross-border raids.

CBS News Correspondent Thalia Assuras reports that the attack came just days after the commander of U.S. forces in western Iraq said American troops were redoubling efforts to secure the Syrian border, which he called an "uncontrolled" gateway for fighters entering Iraq.

Another U.S. Military source told Assuras that the leader of the foreign fighters, an al Qaeda officer, was the target of Sunday's cross-border raid. Although that source told CBS News the attack was successful, he stopped short of saying that the terrorist was among those killed in the raid.

A Syrian government statement said the helicopters attacked the Sukkariyeh Farm near the town of Abu Kamal, five miles inside the Syrian border. Four helicopters attacked a civilian building under construction shortly before sundown and fired on workers inside, the statement said.

The government said civilians were among the dead, including four children.

A resident of the nearby village of Hwijeh said some of the helicopters landed and troops exited the aircraft and fired on a building. He said the aircraft flew along the Euphrates River into the area of farms and several brick factories. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information,

Syria's Foreign Ministry said it summoned the charges d'affaires of the United States and Iraq to protest against the strike.

"Syria condemns this aggression and holds the American forces responsible for this aggression and all its repercussions. Syria also calls on the Iraqi government to shoulder its responsibilities and launch and immediate investigation into this serious violation and prevent the use of Iraqi territory for aggression against Syria," the government statement said.

The area targeted is near the Iraqi border city of Qaim, which had been a major crossing point for fighters, weapons and money coming into Iraq to fuel the Sunni insurgency.

Iraqi travelers making their way home across the border reported hearing many explosions, said Farhan al-Mahalawi, mayor of Qaim.

On Thursday, U.S. Maj. Gen. John Kelly said Iraq's western borders with Saudi Arabia and Jordan were fairly tight as a result of good policing by security forces in those countries but that Syria was a "different story."

"The Syrian side is, I guess, uncontrolled by their side," Kelly said. "We still have a certain level of foreign fighter movement."

He added that the U.S. was helping construct a sand berm and ditches along the border.

"There hasn't been much, in the way of a physical barrier, along that border for years," Kelly said.

The foreign fighters network sends militants from North Africa and elsewhere in the Middle East to Syria, where elements of the Syrian military are in league with al Qaeda and loyalists of Saddam Hussein's Baath party, the U.S. military official said.

He said that while American forces have had considerable success, with Iraqi help, in shutting down the "rat lines" in Iraq, and with foreign government help in North Africa, the Syrian node has been out of reach.

"The one piece of the puzzle we have not been showing success on is the nexus in Syria," the official said.

The White House in August approved similar special forces raids from Afghanistan across the border of Pakistan to target al Qaeda and Taliban operatives. At least one has been carried out.

The flow of foreign fighters into Iraq has been cut to an estimated 20 a month, a senior U.S. military intelligence official told the Associated Press in July. That's a 50 percent decline from six months ago, and just a fifth of the estimated 100 foreign fighters who were infiltrating Iraq a year ago, according to the official.

Ninety percent of the foreign fighters enter through Syria, according to U.S. intelligence. Foreigners are some of the most deadly fighters in Iraq, trained in bomb-making and with small-arms expertise and more likely to be willing suicide bombers than Iraqis.

Foreign fighters toting cash have been al Qaeda in Iraq's chief source of income. They contributed more than 70 percent of operating budgets in one sector in Iraq, according to documents captured in September 2007 on the Syrian border. Most of the fighters were conveyed through professional smuggling networks, according to the report.

Iraqi insurgents seized Qaim in April 2005, forcing U.S. Marines to recapture the town the following month in heavy fighting. The area became secure only after Sunni tribes in Anbar turned against al Qaeda in late 2006 and joined forces with the Americans.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem accused the United States earlier this year of not giving his country the equipment needed to prevent foreign fighters from crossing into Iraq. He said Washington feared Syria could use such equipment against Israel.

Though Syria has long been viewed by the U.S. as a destabilizing country in the Middle East, in recent months, Damascus has been trying to change its image and end years of global seclusion.

Its president, Bashar Assad, has pursued indirect peace talks with Israel, mediated by Turkey, and says he wants direct talks next year. Syria also has agreed to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon, a country it used to dominate both politically and militarily, and has worked harder at stemming the flow of militants into Iraq.

The U.S. military in Baghdad did not immediately respond to a request for comment after Sunday's raid.

[samsel3]

Bush & Cheney not happy with Russian Syrian Natural Gas Deal

Damascus: Syria and Russia have signed a $71 million gas deal to transport natural gas from Syria s northern city of Aleppo to the Turkish border.

The agreement between Syrian Gas Company and Russia s StroyTrans Gaz provides construction of a 62-kilometre pipeline from Aleppo to the border, Sana news agency reported on Tuesday.

Construction of the pipeline is expected to take 18 months. Source Gulf News Oct. 15, 2008

[samsel3]

The PNAC global agenda continues.........

In an interview published by the French, dedefensa.org journalist Amy Goodman s interview with General Wesley Clark stated:

" Clark stated he viewed a defense department memo that described how the U.S. was going to take out seven countries in five years....

"starting with Iraq,then Syria and Lebanon, then Libya,then Somalia and Sudan, and back to Iran."

[grouchyjohn]

Obama will give Syria the tools they need to attack America..

Posted by DoILookligaf at 12:00 PM : Oct 27, 2008





And you say this based on......?

[grouchyjohn]

Syria has to be kidding.. They want the US to GIVE them the equipment needed to prevent foreign fighters from crossing into Iraq. THAT IS THE FUNNIEST THING I''''VE HEARD IN YEARS..!!! Sad thing is the Libs/Obama will give them those tools.. and Guess What.. they will be Used against the US..

I say Bomb 100 miles of the border.. Make it a dead zone.. and if they say anything.. Just say 10-23-1983 PAY BACK B!tches!!!!

Posted by DoILookligaf at 10:01 AM : Oct 27, 2008





They''re probably asking for the weaponry because of the long storied history of republicans arming our enemies.

Prescott Bush armed the Nazi''s.
Reagan and Bush Sr. armed Saddam Hussein / Iraq.
Reagan and Bush Sr. armed The Ayatollah Kohomeini / Iran.
Reagan and Bush Sr. armed bin Laden / the Taliban.
Bush Jr. armed the Sunni insurgents, Shiite extremists, and gave TENS OF BILLIONS to Pakistan which turned around and signed "non-aggression pacts" with Taliban friendly war lords.
Bush Jr. also agreed to sell Saudi Arabia and Israel, TENS OF BILLIONS of dollars in the latest military technology earlier this year.

With a record like that, OF COURSE Syria thinks it has a good chance of being armed by this administration, just by asking!!

[cbs_tom]

If Syria won''t do anything about this enemy of foreign nationals attacking US Soldiers, Then a US attack is necessary.

[tgimacb]

prometheus4? You are not NUMBER ONE? What happened with prometheus1? Was he silenced for his conservative views?

[the American parasite class..
...ambitious young American taxpayers ...
...when it comes to accepting this lot in their lives...
...right-wing parasites...]
ENJOY YOUR NEW FREEDOMS COMRADE

[tgimacb]

prometheus4? You are not NUMBER ONE? What happened with prometheus1? Was he silenced for his conservative views?

[the American parasite class..
...ambitious young American taxpayers ...
...when it comes to accepting this lot in their lives...
...right-wing parasites...]
ENJOY YOUR NEW FREEDOMS COMRADE

[tgimacb]

prometheus4? You are not NUMBER ONE? What happened with prometheus1? Was he silenced for his conservative views?

[the American parasite class..
...ambitious young American taxpayers ...
...when it comes to accepting this lot in their lives...
...right-wing parasites...]
ENJOY YOUR NEW FREEDOMS COMRADE

[tgimacb]

prometheus4? You are not NUMBER ONE? What happened with prometheus1? Was he silenced for his conservative views?

[the American parasite class..
...ambitious young American taxpayers ...
...when it comes to accepting this lot in their lives...
...right-wing parasites...]
ENJOY YOUR NEW FREEDOMS COMRADE

[elpaulito]

Remember, war is the only answer. It always works.......

I think people watch too many movies.

[tgimacb]

Good grief ''obiden08'' charlie baroke hussein?
[This attack is nothing more than Bush trying to escalate this war in hopes of diverting attention away from the ever increasing democratic lead in the polls..]
In case you dont'' f**Kin recall BUSH is not running for Prez - he and the Generals STILL HAVE A JOB!!

It''s all about YOU = It''s all about your dumb*&& candidate.
Perhaps Syria should have chosen aggression AFTER The election - how crass of them to act on their own timetable, duh. There''ll be hell to pay when NObaama TALKS TO THEM!! Maybe the UN will say something too??

[elpaulito]

Your post, specifically this phrase is 100% wrong. "Now, that withstanding, we WOULDN''''T tolerate the insurgents operating from within the US, and WOULD take actions to stop them."

Millions of dollars were raised, and thousands of weapons and explosives were shipped from the US to Ireland during the struggles there. British people died from the weapons supplied and funded by IRA supporters here in the States. We did little, if anything to stop it. There is no oil in Ireland.


I bet that would depend on if we had people (illegally) infiltrating Mexico and setting off bombs and killing hundreds of civilians from this farm. If we couldn''''t take care of the issue, I am sure Mexico would and with good reason.

Now, that withstanding, we WOULDN''''T tolerate the insurgents operating from within the US, and WOULD take actions to stop them.

[gop_will_win]

We need to elect McCain so President Bush doesnt start another war.

[tgimacb]

Well NObaaama, what''r u gonna do now?

Maybe you could just talk with the parliament leader of Syria. While ur there why not just talk with those terrorists, oops ''freedom fighters who can build bombs like Ayers'' "our friends"?

"Well, baroke will just say ''we are in crisis and we cannot ''give'' yo anything, but LETS TALK"!! And he can continue "let''s spread the wealth with the syrians who make less than 250 thousand shekels"]

[Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem accused the United States earlier this year of not giving his country the equipment needed to prevent foreign fighters from crossing into Iraq. He said Washington feared Syria could use such equipment against Israel]

[pirmin3]

Bush is a short timer and he knows he''ll never face any prosecution for anything he does so he ratchets up the violence. Killing innocent civilians, women and children is nothing new for our military.

[jazzjeff31]

No tears lost here for Syria.
He who has not sinned, cast the first stone.

Dear Syria,
Care to explain about your involvement in the Lockerbie plane bombing???

Go stuff yourselves.

[petro49l]

Al Qada Iraq is a narcotics dealing crime syndicate. Baghdad should shut down their operations completely. AQI is responsible for trafficking tar heroin, PCP, exotic hashish, LSD, and methamphetamine in the region. Al Qada promotes the peddling of smut, sexual assaults on children, and public lust. Baghdad is morally obligated to expel Al Qada Iraq.

[petro49l]

Al Qada Iraq is on the run. AQI must retreat into Syria. Why not turn that sector over to the Iraqi Army and the Sunni Militia? Their success is great. This would eliminate the need to attack targets in Syria. America should have a reduced role in Iraq. It is important to ensure the sovereignty of Iraq and decrease cost to U.S. Tax Payers.

[juwboy]

Jenny O`Mara -- The Brighton Belle

[ffoulkes-2009]

****Does it really matter if border moles are killed? These Idiots are the reason our troops are dying. I think we should kill them all.
Posted by DebbyRandal at 12:11 AM : Oct 27, 2008

How so very Nazi of you. Indiscriminate killing helps you sleep better at night.****

......................................................
That would not be Nazi. A Border Mole would be someone who crosses the border in order to cause problems.