Syria Hardens Stance On U.S. After Raid

Demands Closure Of U.S. Cultural Center, School; Embassy Closing For Damascus Protests

(CBS/AP)  Syria hardened its stance against the U.S. on Wednesday, threatening to cut off cooperation on Iraqi border security while demanding America apologize and promise not to repeat a deadly cross-border raid into its territory.

The U.S. Embassy announced that it was closing its doors on Thursday "due to security concerns." The statement on its Web site did not say for how long.

The closure announcement came ahead of a government-sanctioned mass demonstration set for Thursday in Damascus to protest Sunday's raid that Syria said killed eight people in the eastern border community of Abu Kamal.

The Syrian government already had ordered the closure of an American school and cultural center. That and a U.S. embassy warning to be vigilant has raised concerns among Americans living in Damascus.

According to a State Department official, America's senior diplomat in the country, Maura Connolly, was officially notified of Syria's request that the American Cultural Center be closed effective immediately. Syria also wants the Damascus Community School, also known as the American School, to be closed by Nov. 6, reports CBS News State Department reporter Charles Wolfson.

"We are looking at how to respond," State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said, adding that in the meantime: "we expect the Syrian government to provide adequate security for the buildings in which the American Cultural Center and Damascus Community School are housed."

Earlier Wednesday, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad demanded an investigation into Sunday's raid and assurances that Iraqi territory not be used for attacking Syria. If U.S. troops raid Syrian territory again, Mekdad warned that cooperation would be cut off.

"We ask of them (Iraqis) and the Americans to investigate and provide us with the background for such a criminal, terrorist act against an independent state ... (and) make an official apology for this aggression and pledge not to repeat it," Mekdad told The Associated Press.

"What is required of the American government is to confess to this aggression and not be cowardly," he said, adding that the U.S. should also compensate Syria.

There has been no formal acknowledgment of the raid from the United States. But U.S. officials, speaking to the media on condition of anonymity, have said the target of the raid was Badran Turki al-Mazidih, a top al Qaeda in Iraq figure who operated a network smuggling fighters into the war-torn country. The Iraqi national also goes by the name Abu Ghadiyah.

Mekdad rejected the U.S. reports and insisted all those killed were Syrians.

"The allegation that this person was killed is a false claim. Therefore, a search for him by world intelligence agencies, including Syria's, should continue," he said.

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's open for future direct talk as early as next year. Syria also has agreed to establish diplomatic ties with Lebanon, a country it used to dominate both politically and militarily.

But one of the sore points in U.S.-Syria relations has been American accusations that Syria wasn't doing enough to prevent foreign fighters from crossing its borders into Iraq. Syria says it is doing all it can to safeguard its long, porous border.

Despite its opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Syria also has moved to improve relations with Baghdad, sending an ambassador earlier this month for the first time in 25 years. Iraq on Wednesday demanded that a crucial security deal under discussion with the U.S. must include a ban on U.S. troops using Iraqi territory to attack Iraq's neighbors.

With tensions between the U.S. and Syria on the rise, the U.S. Embassy issued a warning advising Americans to avoid demonstrations and review their personal security. Thursday's government-sanctioned protest was expected to draw tens of thousands.

Despite the warning, some Americans living in Syria said they were not too worried.

"I feel that it might be tough for me to say that I am an American, for a while, but I don't have any concerns for my personal safety," said Kate Alberswerth, a 24-year-old New York native who is studying Arabic in Damascus.

Though authorities usually keep Syria tightly controlled and Americans have generally been welcomed, violence against U.S. and European interests at protests occasionally has erupted in the past.

In a 1998 demonstration, small violent groups trashed the American ambassador's residence and entered the American and British cultural centers in Damascus to protest U.S.-British airstrikes against Iraq. In 2006, thousands of outraged Syrians protesting offensive caricatures of Islam's Prophet Muhammad torched the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus.

At the Damascus Community School in an upscale neighborhood, students and teachers attended classes as usual Wednesday despite the government's closure order. An employee at the American cultural center, which is linked to the embassy, said it was also open.

But later Syria's official media said the Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. envoy to formally convey the government's decision.

[djlny]

Hey Babpoph, That Damascus plays this foolish game and you dimwits applaud indicates your clear stupidity. That there is such an outburst is indicative of state sponsorship. I''m sure baby Asssad will miss this comrade just like his mentor who Israel popped off with one to the head. I also understand he is feeling a little blue over losing his Hezbollah bomb specialist too. There aint no cave deep enough if they really want you dead. Osama is left alive because he can''t screw up things if he is dead. Good luck making money off the Russians,

[samsel3]

Bush & Cheney are not happy with a new Russian Syrian Natural Gas Deal. They still want regime change in Syria........

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."

[babooph]

I know the US would understand if Mexico sent some troops & copters in to blast a bunch of those Texans for mistreating illegals there.The Arabs are just unreasonable.

[andrew_693]

Tell Syria to s u c k an egg. You don''''t want to seal your borders this is what happens. Life goes on.

Posted by effjay4 at 10:45 PM : Oct 29, 2008



This is funny coming from someone who lives in a country where thousands of illegals poured in last night through their borders and they happen to come from the number one drug dealing terrorist nation and number one kidnapping nation inthe planet: mexico.

[pirmin3]

Hardened Stance??? ROFLOL Nuke ''em Danno.

[tonyb-d-bing]

This is a terrorist supporting country and should be shunned by the world community.

The leaders of Syria utilize religion and Islamofascism as a political tool, teaching hate and intolerance of others.

Let the world community pressure the Syrian govt to end such reckless and destructive policies, especially its teaching of hate to Syrian children!

[cfin5]

Hardened their stance huh......COOL! But check out their involuntary movement of the knee caps,......just stay upwind too.

[markavelli2]

This is just the beginning. Expect Bush to do a few more bold moves just before he leaves office. Then when our new president is sworn in the slate will be cleared. New administration = new relationships.

[effjay4]

Hey swingset, there is nothing wrong with a good banana smoothie!

[effjay4]

Tell Syria to s u c k an egg. You don''t want to seal your borders this is what happens. Life goes on.

[swingset4u]

By the looks oof this photo displayed of the guy in the fruit juice store it looks as if his only product is an Orange-Bannana smoothie... Amazing he can even buy the paper....

[swingset4u]

Hey Syria, Honey, stop harboring terrorist and start fighting them.. Okay???? Alrighty now you get some rest, you''ll feel better in the morning sweety....

[emelder]

Our cowboy President should respect borders, BUT Syria has got to police the border or we must. We have troops in harms way.

[guadalcanal3]

I think it was made very very clear after 9/11 that we would pursue the terrorists "wherever" they are...and...that you are either with us....or...against us. (all the "grey area" people who like to play "both" sides of the fence do not matter.)...SEMPER FI.

[downsteamjim]

Cause_x: You have some serious problems. Maybe you should start an American school in North Korea. You and Kim Jong Il should see eye to eye.

[scray1]

That''s funny, some people would say the same about us. Considering the U.S. gave millions to Fatah to win in open democratic elections that they lost to Hamas, we backed Saddam Hussein and helped him stay in power and gave him the go ahead to attack Kuwait and later recanted our support. State sponsorship of terrorism is a matter of perspective that we canbe blamed for too.

[yongamerica]

...threatening to cut off cooperation on Iraqi border security...

What boarder security? Syria''s boarders are the most open boarders for extremists to enter into Iraq.

Why Iraq doesn''t come down hard on Syria for this is puzzling.

[brianp55]

The fact is that just about anyone can attack someone or something inside of Syria whenever they feel like it and the Syrians are powerless to stop it. All they can do is whine afterwards. That has got to be irritating.

[zoopster1]

Screw the Syrians. They allow terrorists to operate freely from their territory, so they are a legit target. If the USA, a foreign power, can find a way to make terrorists unwelcome inside Iraq; then Syria, a regional power, should be able to do the same on its own territory with a lot more efficiency.

They have all been warned. Continued support for Islamic terror carries a steep price.

[jgg0001]

Syria Wants Apology, Payment For U.S. Raid

They deserve it too...Iraq is not to be used as a staging ground for attacks on other countries.

Posted by RepForBarack

Heaven forbid we should chase after terrorists.

Posted by jgg0001 at 05:18 PM : Oct 29, 2008

those Syrian citizens may not have been terrorists or were they? are you going to say that to their orhphaned children?

in America when police suspect drug use of a particular house they cant just barge in start attacking and putting people in handcuffs can they? or if a woman is killed and her husb is acting highly suspicious, (and lets say for arguments sake he did kill her) and has no aliby, the police cant just bring him in and say "hey, hes acting wierd, i bet he did it" they have to collect a thing called physical evidence!

its people like you, that killed diplomacy and accountability and the reason were in iraq

Posted by kc629

oh please. you''re one of the ones that believes every dead terrorist was attending a wedding and the prisoners at gitmo just happened to be on the battlefield. You can call me whatever you want, but you are downright gullible.