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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US official: Raid on Syria killed leader of cell
2008-10-27
Families in this Syrian village on Monday buried loved ones they said died in a U.S. helicopter attack. A U.S. counterterrorism official said American forces killed the head of a Syrian network that funneled fighters, weapons and cash into Iraq. The raid Sunday targeted the home of Abu Ghadiyah, the nickname for the leader of a key cell of foreign fighters in Iraq, according to the U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence.

Also Monday, a villager said U.S. forces grabbed two men and took them away by helicopter during the cross-border raid.

During the funerals, residents shouted anti-American slogans and carried banners reading: "Down with Bush and the American enemy." Syria's foreign minister condemned the raid as "cowboy politics."
Posted by:Fred

#15  Well, if Iran is against it, I say do it again! Of course I'm waiting for CNN to agree with Iran that this was wrong. Silly liberal illuminaties!
Posted by: Hupairt B. Hayes3388   2008-10-27 21:49  

#14  Border patrol.


Anyway, if there had only been innocent civilians working on a building project, the US wouldn't have gone in.

Duh.

Posted by: ex-lib   2008-10-27 21:44  

#13  And this is NOT hindsight.

It is, but I'm not going to get in a p*ssing contest over it.
Posted by: Pappy   2008-10-27 21:02  

#12  note the Iraqi official's doublespeak

Since an Obama-Reid-Pelosi govt will be doing everything possible to disengage, the Iraqis had better get used to a more direct way of talking like say, "Thanks USA, Kill more terrorists please."
Posted by: mhw   2008-10-27 20:57  

#11  Syria's foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, described the raid as "cowboy politics." He warned that if there was a repeat attack on Syria, "we would defend our territories."

Considering the situation...that's about as measured of Syrian diplo-speak as it gets. It will be interesting as to who gets invited to next weeks party.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2008-10-27 20:46  

#10  This may be an interesting prelude to what may occur between Nov and Jan as Bush has no political capital to lose.

Crank up the hurt in Pakistan, Afghanistan and along the borders with IRAQ; less ammo to carry home in January.
Posted by: airandee   2008-10-27 20:42  

#9  Per tu above, the only problem here is that this comes years late. There probably should have been dozens of such operations carried out - and even much bolder and more aggressive ones - starting in late '03 or thereabouts. Even assuming some covert festivities we don't know about, clearly there was a failure to exploit the strategic momentum as well as prosecute the Iraq operation properly by confronting Syrian and Iranian meddling and imposing an unsustainable cost for it. And this is NOT hindsight.
Posted by: Verlaine   2008-10-27 19:55  

#8  "I imagine that Assad in Damascus is going to be having sleepless nights for a while."

Awwwww, da' poor babeeeeee.

We could fix that for him, 'moose.

With a dirt nap. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2008-10-27 18:39  

#7  I noted that two were captured and carried off. I imagine that Assad in Damascus is going to be having sleepless nights for a while.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-10-27 18:15  

#6  If Syria is trying to stop the flow of terrorists from their country to Iraq as they say, it seems like their response should be 'thank you very much to our American friends for your help'.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon   2008-10-27 17:41  

#5  During the funerals, residents shouted anti-American slogans and carried banners reading: "Down with Bush and the American enemy."

I'm sure Axelrod, Soros, and Obama sent their condolences.
Posted by: Besoeker   2008-10-27 16:45  

#4  An Associated Press journalist at the funerals in the village cemetery saw the bodies of seven men--none of them children. The discrepancy could not immediately be explained.

AP reporter is going to lose his job for not getting the full propoganda line straight. ALWAYS include women, children and baby ducks!
Posted by: Glenmore   2008-10-27 16:37  

#3  Whoop there it is!!! Got a major taliwhacker and a major AQ in Iraq figure on same day!
Posted by: Legolas   2008-10-27 16:13  

#2  The only complaint I've got about this is that it's abour five years too late.
Posted by: tu3031   2008-10-27 16:09  

#1  good, too hell with russia and iran condemning anything . who cares it's not like they haven't sponsored everything against us in the last 80 years at least.
Posted by: chris   2008-10-27 16:06  

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