US military raid inside Syria's border

An American helicopter-borne troops from Iraq on Sunday launched an assault on a residential area in the Syrian village of al-Sukkiraya which lies just eight kilometres from the border. Eight civilians were reportedly killed in the attack.

The US Department Of State today in its briefing did not have comments on the incident. It's Deputy Spokesman Robert Wood was asked "Do you have any comment on the closure of an American school and the American cultural center in Damascus"? to which he replied that "I’ve seen – or actually heard about the reports. But we have not been officially notified by the Syrian Government. So until we do, I don’t have much further to say on it."

Regarding the supposed flow of foreign fighters across the Syrian border, he added "the flow of foreign fighters across the border, the Syrians have made, in the past, some – taken some steps in the right direction. But there’s a lot that they need to do, and we have spoken to Syria about what they need to do. One of those things that we’d like to see happen is for them to better screen individuals coming into Damascus airport, for them to better patrol their borders. And you know, we want them -- third and – on this third point, we want them to deny foreign fighters safe haven in Syria. And so the Syrians know what they need to do. We want to see those things happen. And that’s just a general overview of what we would like the Syrians to do with regard to foreign fighters."

The New York Times reported yesterday that "American officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the raid said the mission had been mounted rapidly over the weekend on orders from the Central Intelligence Agency when the location of the man suspected of leading an insurgent cell, an Iraqi known as Abu Ghadiya, was confirmed." The New York Times reported that "About two dozen American commandos in specially equipped Black Hawk helicopters swooped into the village of Sukkariyah, six miles from the Iraqi border, just before 5 p.m., and fought a brief gun battle with Abu Ghadiya and several members of his cell, the officials said," saying Abu Ghadiya is now dead.

Syria called Sunday's raid on its territory "an unjustified criminal act of aggression and terrorism", Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mouaalem put the responsibility of the criminal attack which claimed the lives of eight civilians in a Syrian village near the border with Iraq on the American government.

He also urged the Iraqi government "not to let Americans use its territory for attacking neighbors".

Mouaalem told a press conference in London yesterday that his government would not allow another US raid and will defend its territories against any act of aggression.

"They do it in daylight which means it's not a mistake, it is by blind determination. For that we consider this criminal and terrorist aggression," he said, adding that Americans need to investigate the attack and "explain to us why they did that."

Asked whether Syria would take the issue to the United Nations Security Council, Mouaalem said "As long as the US is in the Security Council, there is no democracy in international relations".

Referring to the American occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, the minister said, "In a region in which Americans are present, we should expect such aggressions."

"If (the US has) any proof of any insurgency, instead of applying the law of the jungle and penetrating, unprovoked, a sovereign country, they should come to the Syrians first and share this information," Syria's press attache in London, Jihad Makdissi had said yesterday.

The BBC reported that the timing of the incident was "curious," coming right at the end of the Bush administration and at a time when America's European allies, like Britain and France, are trying to improve ties with Damascus. The attack came ahead of Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Mouaallem due to visit London on Monday, where he scheduled his press conference in London.

Syria's official news agency (SANA) said that Damascus has summoned the official US and Iraqi representatives in protest to the attack. The US military officials in Iraq said in a statement that they did not have "any knowledge" about the aggression.

Iran denounced the raid on Syria. Egypt said that it "considers such operation as a grave violation of Syrian sovereignty," Egypt State Information Service reported.

Iraq denounced the raid saying it does not want its territory to be used as a launch- point for US attacks on its neighbors," .

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Iraqi government spokesman Ali al- Dabbagh criticized the US over the reported helicopter strike.

"The Iraqi government rejects the US helicopter strike on Syrian territory, considering that Iraq's constitution does not allow its land to be a base for launching attacks on neighboring countries," he said.

"We call upon American forces not to repeat such activities and Baghdad has launched an investigation into the strike." Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Mouaallem said all the victims - a father and his three children, a farm guard and his wife, and a fisherman - were civilian.

He said "Killing civilians in international law means a terrorist aggression." Mouaallem, speaking in London, said the US knew "full well that we stand against al-Qaeda. They know full well we are trying to tighten our border with Iraq." Asked if Syria would use force if a similar operation was mounted, he said "As long as you are saying if, I tell you, if they do it again, we will defend our territories."