A tense relationship with Syria got a little chillier at about 4:45 AM this morning when American troops in four helicopters violated Syrian airspace by swooping into a village eight kilometers from the Iraqi border and attacking a building under construction.
In the process, according to Agence France-Presse, eight civilian workmen were killed and one was wounded. The soldiers then reportedly reboarded the helicopters and left as quickly as they had arrived, in the direction of Iraq.
One of the many questions the report raises is: Are Syrian construction workers really on the job at 4:45 AM?
In the meantime, it now appears less likely that we'll see a recommendation from the military for an Iraq-type surge in Afghanistan. The LA Times reported this morning that senior Pentagon officials are considering instead the possibility of sending in highly trained special op forces to surgically target the most violent areas.
The rough topography of the nation, the rural nature of a large portion of the population and the fact that the government in Kabul has never had a great deal of influence outside the capital are some of the factors being taken into account. Also it is a fact of life for the military that Iraq continues to consume a large troop commitment in an uncertain environment.
Militants in Afghanistan have been getting increasingly aggressive. This week the capital experienced the killing of a British/South African female aid worker and the shooting deaths of two top executives of the international shipping firm, DHL.
In addition, Taliban insurgents stopped a bus in Kandahar province, dragged the occupants outside and killed 24. Reports said some of the victims were beheaded.
Also, this past week, the Department of Defence released the obituaries of four military personnel killed in Iraq ranging in age from 21 to 29. Three of the deaths were non-combat-related.
According to the web site www.icasualties.org, U.S. deaths in Iraq now stand at 4,187.
The Department of Defense also released, last week, the obituaries of five military personnel killed in combat in Afghanistan, ranging in age from 21 to 39.
Total U.S. deaths in Afghanistan were 550 as of October 24, according to the Pentagon.
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 35
So, basically we attacked Syria at 4:45 A.M. this morning...obviously something more was going on in that building than we know.
That is pretty darn early for construction workers.
Good point Jim...and thanks for coming by Lori and Nora...
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,
...
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."
...
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-Qaida 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.
It seems policy makers may have lost their way on the subject of terrorism.
Excellent article as usual! The situation in Syria brings up more questions than it answers. And did the attack occur it the early morning or in the afternoon? One wonders what our military was expecting to find and whether or not anything worthy of the attack was found.
I am confident that our military thought there was reason to attack, whether they were correct or not is unknown.
Randy,
Appreciate your addition to the article!
I heard an interesting interview today with Andrew Bacevich who wrote "The Limits of Power", and he said that the United States should join with internationl police forces to combat terrorism. He said it no different than fighting criminals.
Dave - An interesting article in the near future might be about the advisors of both candidates. I hear that Larry Summers will probably be Obama's Secretary of the Treasury. I looked him up and he has an impressive resume, but he is also a strong free trade and globalization man. I guess that is inevitable.
McCain's advisors are not as impressivive as Obama's.
Ruth, you are on the money when you say the advisors are an important clue as to what the candidates will bring to their administrations. Although I admit to a bias towards Obama it is apparent that, based on McCain's advisors, the neocons who got us into Iraq would still be prominent in his administration and his prior efforts to control financial influence on legislators through PACs and lobbyists might just be another of the many changes in his positions - especially since his chief advisor is a lobbyist Too bad. I really liked the 2000 McCain.
On the other hand, I am disappointed in Obama's refusal to oppose globalization, but at least he wants to level the playing field a little by claiming that he will insist on comparable labor and environmental laws. The American worker still can't compete with the wage levels in China and India and now the emergence of some of the African countries, however.
Globalization was a benefit that accrued to the capitalists and crippled the American worker - end of story. How it was sold to the many Americans who bought into it is just one of the many mysteries associated with the recent looting perpetrated by the global financial interests who are now rolling in dough, a crime of immense proportions that we are just now beginning to grasp.
So I am just less disappointed in Obama than in Mccain, but we still need a leader who will unreservedly represent the working people of this country.
And thanks, Robin, for stopping by...
In 2002, the U.S. Ambassador to Syria told a reporter that President Asad had stopped "more than one Al Qaeda attack on American interests." Asad had embraced numerous positions while trying to balance Syria's relevance in the Middle East and advance Syrian interests.
In 2006, former Sec of State Jim Baker suggested that Bush establish at a degree of dialogue with Syria but Rumsfeld wouldn't have it. U.S.-Syria-Canadian relations didn't benefit from the CIA's snatching a Syrian-born Canadian engineer on his way home to Toronto at JFK Airport, accusing him of being a terrorist and then flying him to Syria for ten months of tortue being he was released without charges.
More recently, Assad has been pursing indirect peace talks with Israel with help from Turkey and Assad hopes to have direct talks next year. Assad has also assigned more troops to the border area to reduce the flow of militants. It appears Syria is trying to change its image and end its seclusion and more Arab as well as U.S. officials have been visiting the country.
The timing of the raid seems poor at best.
In four helicopters shortly before sundown, U.S. soldiers targeted a civilian building under construction and fired on workers inside, the Syrian government said in a release.
Civilians were among those killed, including four children, the government said.M
This is what I found on the CBC news site
Later in the article a US representative stated "We are taking matters into our own hands".
It seems each day we come one step closer to WWIII...
I have to echo Jim's comment... I wonder why anybody would want to be President of the US with all the messes he will have to clean up!
To quote a news report:
"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told US President George W. Bush last month that Iran and Syria - long targets of US blame over the deadly unrest in Iraq - no longer pose a problem.
"Iraqi officials have also said that Syria has been increasing border security.
"Syria's first ambassador to Iraq in 26 years took up his post in Baghdad this month, marking the official end of more than two decades of icy relations.
"In addition, Condi Rice has plans to meet with her counterpart in Syria."
I'm with you, Kathryn and I wonder what that U.S representative meant, Kathleen...
On the other hand, in answer to your question, I've heard numerous times that in the middle east particularly, many people who work outdoors start very early so as to avoid the midday heat. I would guess that construction workers would be especially keen not to labor in 100+ degree temps. I had a roofing job one summer in high school, and I can tell you despite that fact that I'm not a morning person, I was more than happy to start early.
As for the actual point of the story, as others have said, there HAS to be more to it than what we're hearing, so as such it's tough to comment. Syria has never really been on our "side" so to speak, and during this whole Iraq fiasco has been a thorn in our side as far as not doing anything to keep militants from crossing their border with Iraq freely. I'd guess US forces had intel that this new building was going to be used for some nefarious purpose - safehouse, training, weapons depot, whatever - and decided to take it out. Now, whether the Syrian government was involved directly is another issue, not to mention the accuracy of the intel (goodness knows we've NEVER had suspect intel before...)
But they'll kill anyone to find him, in hopes it'll win the election for McShame. From Pakistan to Syria. Invading the sovereignty of any nation, to fix an election in their own.
I'm glad McCain ran, and I'm glad he picked Palin. He managed to do the one thing GW Bush couldnt. Convince the American ppl that the republican party is a farce.
Now, if we can just get them to stop killing innocent folks in countries that have done nothing to us. . . .
Man, I thought this is what they'd do right after 911. Sending an army to "get" Bin Laden was stupendishly idiotic. Like Bin Laden wasn't going to see them coming. And now they're thinking about it. Talk about closing the barn door after the horse got out.
WHAT!!! Well I hope the hell she isn't doing that without pre-conditions. That would be naive and an example of inexperience in foreign affairs.
Tad, I'm sorry to have misled you on the time. As I said above in a comment, it was in the PM.
Gotta say, Clyde, in the 2 1/2 years of posting the weekly Toll, your comment wins the trophy as the strangest, hands down.
Bent, given the number of comments I've read lately in the threads, in editorials and in person, it seems that the public is getting wiser to the "October Surprise" thing. Whether it's safe to say that the Republican candidate wouldn't benefit from a contrived crisis is another matter however. In the last few days we attacked Syria and sent a drone into Pakistan again. Yet they really wouldn't seem to qualify, unless its just part of a larger buildup. And even then, it strikes me that the type of "surprise" that would present the most effective results would be a domestic attack - on us.
Also, thanks for your comments Nunya, Sheila, Rude and Renee.
Ahh...missed that. Thanks. :)
A very sad commentary of the report on where humanity is standing at this time.
If the ppl knew EVERYTHING our gov't was up to, has done, is doing, there would be civil war in this country, hence the reasons of "National Security".
I think non conventional forces may be the way to go with small conventional units for backup and heavy hitting. That was proposed some time ago and makes more sense to me but my strategic musings aren't buttressed by any secret intell.
Please be sure and post all of your photos, posts and videos to the group and don't forget to stop by and comment on group content!