Iraq Denounces U.S. Raid On Syria
Iraq's U.S.-backed government says it does not approve of a deadly U.S. raid into Syria.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh's comments were the first official Iraqi condemnation of Sunday's raid, in which four U.S. helicopters attacked the village of Sukkariyeh, several miles inside Syria's border.
Al-Dabbagh spoke after a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that was chaired by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
He says the government "rejects" the raid even if the U.S. claims such operations are legitimate. He also says Iraq doesn't want its territory to be used for attacks in neighboring nations.
But he urged Syria to crack down on what he said are "organizations" operating on its territory that have the intention of harming Iraq.
Damascus charged that U.S. forces a civilian building under construction shortly before sundown on Sunday, killing eight.
A U.S. military official said the target was a network that smuggles fighters and weapons into Iraq.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported the raid targeted and killed Abu Ghadiyah, who was a senior al Qaeda in Iraq operative responsible for funneling foreign fighters and money into Iraq.
A senior American official told The Associated Press that the U.S. operation was precipitated by intelligence that the Iraqi fugitive was planning an imminent attack in Iraq.
A U.S. official called his death "very significant."
Amateur video footage purportedly taken at the scene of the raid was released to AP Television on Tuesday, showing military helicopters flying toward the site as villagers pointed to the skies.
The grainy video was taken by a villager on a mobile phone. It does not show the helicopters landing, but shows villagers pointing in alarm as they arrive overhead.
The amateur video also contains images purportedly of the immediate aftermath of the attack.
A large crowd can be seen at the site standing around bloodied bodies.
A Syrian government statement said eight people were killed, including a man, his four children and a woman.
However, local officials said seven men were killed and two other people were wounded.
An Associated Press journalist at the funerals in the village's cemetery on Monday saw the bodies of seven men - none of them apparently minors. The discrepancy could not immediately be explained.
Syria's foreign minister Walid al-Moallem said on Monday the attack was "criminal and terrorist aggression," and he warned of retaliation if its borders were violated again.
Syrian television broadcasts reactions from locals following the cross-border attack. "What are the sins of these innocent citizens? They didn't do anything, they were at work. This is a brutal attack," one said.
"I condemn and deplore this attack and I think that all the world will be with Syria against this attack," said another.
In response, the Syrian government has ordered that an American school and a U.S. cultural center in Damascus be closed.
The official SANA news agency says the decision came at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday chaired by Prime Minister Naji Otari.
The report says the Syrian education minister was given instructed to implement the decision.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh's comments were the first official Iraqi condemnation of Sunday's raid, in which four U.S. helicopters attacked the village of Sukkariyeh, several miles inside Syria's border.
Al-Dabbagh spoke after a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that was chaired by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
He says the government "rejects" the raid even if the U.S. claims such operations are legitimate. He also says Iraq doesn't want its territory to be used for attacks in neighboring nations.
But he urged Syria to crack down on what he said are "organizations" operating on its territory that have the intention of harming Iraq.
Damascus charged that U.S. forces a civilian building under construction shortly before sundown on Sunday, killing eight.
A U.S. military official said the target was a network that smuggles fighters and weapons into Iraq.
CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported the raid targeted and killed Abu Ghadiyah, who was a senior al Qaeda in Iraq operative responsible for funneling foreign fighters and money into Iraq.
A senior American official told The Associated Press that the U.S. operation was precipitated by intelligence that the Iraqi fugitive was planning an imminent attack in Iraq.
A U.S. official called his death "very significant."
Amateur video footage purportedly taken at the scene of the raid was released to AP Television on Tuesday, showing military helicopters flying toward the site as villagers pointed to the skies.
The grainy video was taken by a villager on a mobile phone. It does not show the helicopters landing, but shows villagers pointing in alarm as they arrive overhead.
(AP Photo/AP Television)
A large crowd can be seen at the site standing around bloodied bodies.
A Syrian government statement said eight people were killed, including a man, his four children and a woman.
However, local officials said seven men were killed and two other people were wounded.
An Associated Press journalist at the funerals in the village's cemetery on Monday saw the bodies of seven men - none of them apparently minors. The discrepancy could not immediately be explained.
Syria's foreign minister Walid al-Moallem said on Monday the attack was "criminal and terrorist aggression," and he warned of retaliation if its borders were violated again.
Syrian television broadcasts reactions from locals following the cross-border attack. "What are the sins of these innocent citizens? They didn't do anything, they were at work. This is a brutal attack," one said.
"I condemn and deplore this attack and I think that all the world will be with Syria against this attack," said another.
In response, the Syrian government has ordered that an American school and a U.S. cultural center in Damascus be closed.
The official SANA news agency says the decision came at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday chaired by Prime Minister Naji Otari.
The report says the Syrian education minister was given instructed to implement the decision.
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What a bunch of ingrates.
The rest of the world, who once respected America now sees us as agressors--and we are.
We need Bush,Cheney, Rumsfield Rove all locked away with not contact with the outside world, once we have done that, we can heal--with them on the loose--anything can happen.
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
The PNAC global agenda continues. Iraq is concerned Syria may be next on the hit list........
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."
But he urged Syria to crack down on what he said are "organizations" operating on its territory that have the intention of harming Iraq.
Sounds like they want their cake and to eat it too!
Posted by nylon66
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I used to have a nylon66 before I got a big boy. I have to agree with you on one point. If you don''t want to support your daddy, I don''t think the government should be given the right to make you. BTW, while you''ve been keeping a watchful eye on Obama, George W. gutted your pension, your retirement, your 401k, your savings account interest, your IRA interest and your money market account through the Bank Bailout Act giving bankers $700 billion without supervision to solve problems associated with bankers having no supervision. He then doubledeuced you with another $540 billion bailout of the MMIFF, that''s money market mafia managers to you. Here''s the rub: he not only suckered you to today and tomorrow, he put your kids, your grandkids and your great grandkids in his hip pocket at the same time. They get to pay it back. If you''re smart, you will become the town drunk.
The U.S. is doing exactly what we said we would do right after the attacks on sept. 11th. "we will make no distinction between the terrorists and those that harbor them". That means everyone is fair game that have terrorists on there soil. I''m proud that we are sticking to our guns. I figured the prez would have stopped years ago because of the cowardly nature of many Americans. Those that don''t have the balls to fight for more than 2 years.
The Syrians have also in the past few weeks established embassies in Lebanon and Iraq.
I don''t understand how is it that the US sends terror suspects to Syria so they can torture them for us but then turn around and stab Syria in the back like this.
I hope Syria will forgive the US for this.