Middle East News
Al-Arabiya: Syria freezes ties with Iraq
Oct 31, 2008, 12:04 GMT
Dubai - Syria has frozen its ties with Iraq following a cross-border attack by US forces on a Syrian village, the Dubai-based al-Arabiya news network reported Friday.
It said the Iraqi charge d'affaires had been summoned to the Syrian Foreign Ministry in Damascus and told that economic cooperation was being frozen, as was cooperation between security services.
Syria says eight civilians were killed in Sunday's cross-border, helicopter-backed attack on the village of al-Sukkariya, while witnesses said seven people were killed and one man was abducted.
Thousands of people marched in the streets of Damascus on Thursday to protest the raid. Protestors included dozens of students from the Syrian region of Bokmal, the location of Sunday's raid.
They protested near the US embassy, which was surrounded by Syrian riot police and closed for the day.
The US government has not commented officially on the raid, but unofficial reports say an al-Qaeda terrorist was killed or wounded in the attack.
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Older Talkback
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OFC, if you are killed by US army then you must be a bad guy using weapons of mass destruction and aiming at destroying all democracy. It's not that US is aiming for world domination, they are only killing bad guys and protecting all of us around this world from savages.
what does it mean that they 'freeze' ties? Is that good or bad or indifferent for the two countries? Is that bad for the U.S.? I too believe it was a military operation that did not target or kill civilians. As much as foreign countries want to make us (U.S.) seem like savage killers, deep down the world knows the US is good, they just like taking a shot at number one.
Syria may well respond by expelling 1/2 million or so refugees back to Iraq. Let the US and Iraq feed and support them. Maybe then they wouldn't have so many Dollars to be attacking neutral parties. The next time US needs help in Lebanon they may wonder if Bush's attack were worth it.
Seems Bush is trying to provoke a massive war in the Middle East. Then just maybe he can start a big enough war to deflect voters from the economy issue. Expect him to bomb Iran next?
Sam, you are AWESOME!
Lets have a little common sense. There will always be and has been civilian causalities in a war. More civilians are killed in wars then the people doing the actual fighting. And in my humble opinion war makes murderers of both sides no matter who thinks their fight is righteous.
I find the timing of this rather suspicious. After all this time in Iraq and constant accusations against Syria, we suddenly decide to attack them
just before the US elections? If I seem cynical, it's because I am.
I've been lied to too many times not to be.
Whether the people of world protest against them or be happy,these American are self appointed custodian of Democarcy and world police.For them their is no international rule,no Human right question and no question of Sovereignty of other.These American are above all laws.They have coined such a word TERRORISM that by the virtue of this word they have unlimited,unquestionable and suprem rights to attack any where.Where it is Iraq,pakistan,syria or Somalia.The international laws and international organisations are for the Youth of Muslims and Muslims world to face charges and Embargo.These American believe in one idiom'MIGHT IS RIGHT'.Let see when Muslims countries would powerfull enough to stop this might is right theory of American.
John
Unfortunately that type of common sense leads to blow back, i.e. 9/11. We are in year 7 for the war on terror and Al Queda is in better shape then we started. Its easy to talk about civilian causulties when our homes and families are not being destroyed.
BEN-- How do you know we were correct in what we did? We went into Iraq spending billions upon billions of dollars and thousands of lives on both sides on BAD and INCORRECT INTELLIGENCE!!!! Are you stupid or just brain washed to think our government doesn't make mistakes or is a brutal regieme. If you don't beleive we are ask any native American Indian and I'm sure he will let you know how brutal our gornment can be...oh I forgot they're almost inpossible to find anymore!!!
Brillant! Bush is instigating this in hopes that of retaliation on U.S. soil. The only way for McCain to win an election is a large terrorist act on U.S. soil before Novemeber 4th.
Makes sense?
All they had to do was look out the helicopter window and they would have seen 'Syria' printed on the ground on the opposite side of the dotted line from 'Iraq.'
How long does it take the Syrians and Pakastanis to collect all of these civilian bodies?
Follow the path West from Fallujah, and find out where the attackers are coming from....
Common sense is to just close your eyes and believe that the decision to attack inside the borders of another country without notice to be correct? And are you saying that suddenly *now* our intelligence information is correct? I do remember a time when we were wrong once, big time. So if the US government is reporting that we killed or wounded 1 Al-Queda (I might be off on that number) and Syria is reporting 8 innocent civilians killed, did we reall do ourselves any favor in attacking Syria?
Thats right, 1 al-queda at a cost of 7 or 8 civilians. It must be ok to blow up an entire store because someone is there robbing it.
When has war been ever effective in combating terrorist groups? I believe never. We should look at how England handled the IRA. Try them, convict them, and jail them. Stop banktruping this country with perpetual war please that creates more terrorist. PLEASE!
Its about time we did this, When you have information where a terrorist is you need to go after them where ever it might be. Way to go GW
I can not believe some of these comments.
The fact is these terrorists are seeking and receiving a safe haven in these bordering countries. Launching cross border attacks into Iraq and Afghanistan, and then retreating back across the border to plan the next attack, guerrilla warfare. I cannot understand how some people, American or not, can associate this war as an assault on there Muslim faith. Mohammad Allam, Faith has nothing to do with it. I have witnessed Al Qaeda members use mosques as a safe harbor to fight from, knowing full well that we, the Americans, would not bomb the mosque. It demonstrated to me that nothing is sacred to these terrorists. They are fighting for their own agenda and care nothing of the local people. Is America supposed to sit back and just turn a blind eye to these facts? Are American soldiers just supposed to sit back and die? I chuckled at the comment that we Americans are self appointed custodians of Democracy, well buddy, please step up to the plate, Americans are going to defend what we view is right. And last time I checked I didn’t see Mohammad Allam fighting against tyranny and oppression. I didn’t see Mohammand Allam fighting and freeing a country from a man who beat, raped, tortured and enslaved his people? So I invite you to put you words to work, you get out there on the line and fight the Somalia war lords who rape, torture and murder people, fight the insurgents who are attacking Iraqis and Americans. The fact is you don’t have the testicular fortitude to do so. Anyone who says this attack was a plot or is in someway used to deter from the economic situation is an idiot. The attack was a simple statement to Syria clean up your own back yard.
To True American
Dear,What you say is not right.This is certainly faith based war.Can you answer some of my questions.If you answer honestly i will think that Honestly is still prevailed.
Q1. Who tarined this Al-Qeida In Afghanistan?
Q2.When these Alqedist were fighting and killing Russian ,Why you called them Jihadist?Why not terrorist?When they are fighting with you why they terrorist?Why not they Jihadist?
Q3.Are Abu gharib And Guantamao not more brutal concentration camp?In this term what are difference between you and Afghani war lord and Somali?
Q4.Why not an international inquery into 9/11 attack.may be truth will come like the false intellegnce case of Iraq.
Q5.Why in double standard in dealing.No solution in case of palestine but running into Iraq to plant democarcy?
In truely i say that a nation like you was great which fought for human values but for some years it gave world nothing but a culture of war.Can any peace loving nation accept this sitution of world.In the past the common muslim had nothing to do Alqaeda and in present and in future they have not sympathy.you have created them ,you tacle them.
I see 'Self Defense.' Our occupation of Iraq is legal because we took out a 'bad guy'. We have to invade Syria to defend ourselves in Iraq. Perfect sense! I will not feel safe until Syria is under U.S. control; You?
I believe this is the same talk in Germany that started WWII.
'I chuckled at the comment that we Americans are self appointed custodians of Democracy, well buddy, please step up to the plate, Americans are going to defend what we view is right. And last time I checked I didn’t see Mohammad Allam fighting against tyranny and oppression'
To mohammad allam - Oct 31st, 2008 - 14:16:54
Q1. Who tarined this Al-Qeida In Afghanistan?
>CIA - and they did a pretty good job too!
Q2.When these Alqedist were fighting and killing Russian ,Why you called them Jihadist?
>We called them mujahadeen(sp), local muslims called them Jihadists. We don't believe in Jihad.
Why not terrorist?When they are fighting with you why they terrorist?Why not they Jihadist?
>You answered your own question. Besides, strapping bombs to women and children and blowing up markets full of people is not an act of 'fighting' as much as it is an act of 'terrorism'. No soldier ever did something as silly as that!
Q3.Are Abu gharib And Guantamao not more brutal concentration camp?In this term what are difference between you and Afghani war lord and Somali?
>Got me there. But you must agree that world opinion and all us yokels back home had a lot to do with cleaning up that poor act. What war lord would listen to popular dissent?
Q4.Why not an international inquery into 9/11 attack.may be truth will come like the false intellegnce case of Iraq.
>Oh, no. You aren't one of those dippy truthers are you?
Q5.Why in double standard in dealing.No solution in case of palestine but running into Iraq to plant democarcy?
>Out of scope. Besides, so many times has our American leadership tried to broker peace in the middle-east. They don't seem to really want that so much as they want to exterminate the jews.
In truely i say that a nation like you was great which fought for human values but for some years it gave world nothing but a culture of war.Can any peace loving nation accept this sitution of world.In the past the common muslim had nothing to do Alqaeda and in present and in future they have not sympathy.you have created them ,you tacle them.
>This last paragraph proves you really don't have the cajones to stand up to some major problems in the mid-east. True American said it all right.
Quid pro quo, but faith again has nothing to do with this war. America trained Osama and some I want to make a point SOME Afgan fighters to fight a communist army. The fighters were not calling themselves Al-Qaida they were calling themselves Jihadists and the Afgan people booted out the Russians. America just gave a little help. We did not do it ourselves. I also don’t believe the Afgans were going into downtown Kabul and blowing themselves up.
A terrorist commits heinous acts on the civilian populace. They spread there impractical idealist thinking through fear and intimidation. Basically a bully who stand for his own agenda.
I can hear the America kills civilian’s argument. I know this happens, that is why America does everything it can, to minimize civilian losses. America even helps rebuild the infrastructure destroyed because that is the ugly part of any war. The difference is America tries to just kill the combatants not the populace. What do terrorists do? They recruit a 13 year old kid and tell him stories of greatness, strap bombs on his back and send him into a civilian populated market to blow up. They terrorize people with the threat of torture maiming or death.
News flash, America has nuclear weapons. Have we used them? I would bet that if a terrorist had one he would have already used it. Doesn’t that make you question there motive? Why didn’t Osama die with the rest of his followers in Afghanistan? No he ran across the border to seek a safe haven. He cares for only his own agenda.
I find it convenient that you keep referring to this as some sort of Faith based war. What is it that makes this a Faith based war? The only thing I can think of is that through the Muslim faith you are using the term jihad to your own advantage to fit your own argument. Do you also feel it is right that women not be educated and if a woman seeks out education and knowledge she should be beaten or stoned? That is oppression.
Abu Gharib is the prison which is on Guantanamo Island it is not a concentration camp. If you want to compare this to the Nazi’s in Germany I suggest you do your homework. Take a look at WWII Photos. Educate yourself before you argue that point please. In no way has America declared war on Muslims, like the Nazi’s did to the Jewish, the Jews were being singled out and exterminated because of there faith only. The combatants in Abu Gharib are treated humanely are given medical treatment and are fed. None of that was given to the Jews by the Nazi’s. They are detained there because they are combatants in a war not because they are Muslims.
We are not running into Iraq to plant anything, the people decided on there government, they set up there own government, and they have done all of that on there own.
There are thousands of Muslims in America because Americans have a choice in Faith and Have Freedoms which the people in Iraq did not.
America is not a conqueror. America is a liberator.
In the Above^
Abu Gharib the people who were involved were held accountable. Guantanamo Island prison is not a concentration camp.
I am convinced those where unarmed civilians.
I can see some reason for what US did assuming its goals, among some others, are:
- Prevent the Syria to improve its international stance with Europe in particular
- Increase animosity between Syria and Iraq so Iraqi rulers will be afraid of Syria and therefore feel more dependent on US 'protection'. Remember that Syria hosts a lot of Iraqi Baas operatives among over the million of angry Iraqis. If Syria opens the border there will be need for a 50000 more US troops, not less.
'Guantanamo Island prison is not a concentration camp'
The 'True American' apparently knows what is a TRUE concentration camp.
Try reading before you post. Only a complete moron would try to make a correlation to Guantanamo Island prison to a Nazi Concentration Camp. Last time I checked the United States is not in the business of incinerating detainees? So reach between your legs and give a tug on your neck to pull your head out of your rear. I believe each and every American soldier that has been captured by insurgents has been tortured beaten and killed. The detainees at Guantanamo are fed, have shelter and I may remind you were captured in a COMBAT SITUATION. They were not rounded up in mass like the Jews were. So again pull your head out.
I would let the 'true american' stick to its thong.
From own perspective, if he indeed represents the true America, then America is no better then those 'true germans' back then.
As for the concentration camps, they may vary even greater then the 'colors' of those 'democratic' revolutions bankrolled by America and its vassals.
Have a Happy Halloween and memorable nightmares.
What sort of this philosophy is that you invade a country,if people resist you,you term them terrorist?See before American invasion on Iraq was any insurgent going on?What was total death after invasion?Who has given you right to interfere in the sovereignty of a nation?If people were hating their rulers then why not they happy with you and still after five years they are fighting.why?
Hitelr of Germany was also saying himself right.Was he right?If you are talking like that then who will correct you.As you belive in might is right.Dear you can win the heart of human being with love not with the Rambo style .
I agree with one thing that 'True American' said - 'Quid pro quo, but faith again has nothing to do with this war. '
Faith is rarely the cause but its the excuse for war and its hidden agendas. Anyone that pays attention to Americas anti-terror campaign would notice the unique timing and selection of targets for their own profit. Afghanistan is clearly the new Asian Israel that America wanted right next to their old nemesis Russia and the rising power, China. Iraq was clearly for the oil. Their new targets seems to be Iran and Syria, which again suspiciously has oil and seems to conforming with countries as Russia and China to counter Americas dominance.
'True American' also mentions Americas past dealings Afghanistan as - 'America just gave a little help'.
So according to you its perfectly right to arm a group of people to do your dirty work ( 'Fight a communist army', your words) and then leave them with the weapons so they can terrorise the unarmed civilians. Do you ever hear yourself. Doesn't that sound immoral.
True American - 'The detainees at Guantanamo are fed, have shelter and I may remind you were captured in a COMBAT SITUATION.'
Do you have any idea how many Guantanamo prisoners has committed suicide over the years. I think that presents a pretty clear picture of what the Guantanamo prison really is.
Quote - 'A terrorist commits heinous acts on the civilian populace. They spread there impractical idealist thinking through fear and intimidation. Basically a bully who stand for his own agenda.' - True America
There is a certain amount of truth in this. Although I believe terrorists are a product of a problem rather than the root cause of it, they have their idealistic agendas and commits heinous acts to achieve them. Basically they follow the logic - 'Ends Justify the Means'. (Examples - The LTTE is Sri Lanka believing its acceptable to suicide bomb civilians as they are fighting for an independent nation for Tamil People, Terrorist groups as Hamas, the Palestinian Liberation Organization etc. attacking civilians of Israel as they believe Israel should not exist etc.)This has a striking similarity to what America is doing right now. America seems to considers that human casualties are acceptable as they are fighting terrorism. They seem to think that its righteous to cross the border of country, disregard their Sovereignty and perform an attack indiscriminately among civilians and a terrorist suspect and then call it an act against terrorism (This is my interpretation of this incident in Syria).
So 'True American' I don't see a difference between your justification of this incident and how terrorists justify suicide bombings.
Syria should be as Iran has said about other nations...wiped of the face of the earth. Period end of story,,,
These liars can't even make an arguement that holds up. What a joke these people are...something smells in Syria and it ain't the beans.
muslim power hooga hooga......................
Wait until Obama gets in power he will show them!!!!
You are truly grateful to God for your discussion with Mohammad Allam. And this:
'In no way has America declared war on Muslims'
Is something that you will spend a great deal of time thinking about
To all the haters and the anti Americans,
Stop listening to our music. Stop wearing American clothes under the Arab gear. Stop gleefully gleaning from the American culture. I find the fact that there has been war in the middle east since recorded time, a good argument toward the peace loving county bull****. People who live in the Middle East love war. America will eventually leave Iraq and Afghanistan, after the US has accomplished what it feels it can. Then you will be free again to kill each other, torture and beat your women. Deprive people of an education. Have dictators who kill parts of there constituents in mass. I don't think, in general, Middle Eastern people want peace. I truly believe the people have lived with war for so long they know nothing else. If America just sat back and took the French approach to situations. The French would be speaking German, Afghanistan would be speaking Russian, and Kuwait would be part of Iraq.
I understand we have differing perspectives on this subject. But if America is so bad then why on earth are there Middle Eastern people crossing oceans to live work and have some freedom in America?
Give me a view of your perspective.
thank for your mind opening.The one thing i will say that leave the use of OIL OF MIDDLE EAST .As far your logic of American adventurism is concerned then the simple reply is that America went in these region not for the sake of unity of these countries but for the security of ENERGY OF AMERICAN need.
The middle east people going to America just to enjoy the devil freedom of lust which middle east curtail openly.America certainly have some basic advantage and should be respected but evil is evil.And we should oppose this.No Peace loving nation of the world can accept such immoral preimpretive strike.this is the result that encourage Russia to go Georgia.American has defined the role of disput solving in the might and right.If every thing American solve then what is the use of UNo.If UNO is for other then why not for American also.
other hand there is ongoing financial crisis and i am telling you very frankly that the life of America is in DOLLAR.Once dollar will be lost command then American economy would come down to earth.The invasion of Iraq was to prevent other nation to swtich off from Dollar to other currency.And for this was to capture the energy resources.I doubt that can America have legal backing of issuing dollar world wide.that is also expressed by head of state of other nations.when they say that in return of oil they are getting a useless DOLLAr.
So,be clear and true to humanity.And on this ground no nation can accept the behabiour of American.
I have had and always will have an open mind. True, America has been importing oil, by the tanker load. While we do have other resources, it has been abundantly clear that America is leveraged too much into its oil needs. When America, I say when because it is going to happen sooner rather then later, no longer needs the massive amounts of oil it currently does what will happen to these big oil producing countries?
Why do you refer to American freedom as devil freedom? Is it to reference some sort of holy war you have been trying to tout? Good vs. Evil? God vs. Devil? It depends on your perspective. The dollar is only one currency there are many in the world, the pound, the euro, the yen just to name a few. The bases of your arguments are again fundamentally flawed.
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BenOct 31st, 2008 - 12:35:54
Let's have a little common sense on the subject. In the United States military, there is a chain of command. This only would have occurred if we were absolutely sure that the information was good, simply because sending in helicopters like that is a joint operation between branches, and it costs money. At that point, you can't mess up. We were also crossing the border. It makes no sense for a military operation to occur and just end up popping civilians. I do not believe they were civilians.
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