Why Syria? Why now? oct 29th

Antaletriangle · 10-29-2008, 09:16 PM

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JJ30Ak02.html
By Ali Gharib

WASHINGTON - A cross-border raid into Syria by United States forces in Iraq, and a subsequent stonewalling by US officials unwilling to divulge details, has led to rampant speculation among US analysts about the origins and meaning of the attack.

"So the question is: Why?", geostrategic analyst and journalist Helena Cobban wrote on her blog, wondering if the raid could have been pulled off without explicit permission from the highest levels of the President George W Bush administration.

"Why now at the end of the Bush administration, with Washington trying to play nice with Damascus and tensions easing throughout the region, would US forces stage such a gambit?" echoed

The questions started to swirl late on Sunday afternoon when US helicopters allegedly crossed eight kilometers over the desert border between Syria and Iraq. According to reports, eight US soldiers were deployed when a helicopter landed, attacking the al-Sukkari farm in the Syrian Abu Kamal border area.

The cross-border raid - the first of its kind involving a helicopter attack and US boots on the ground that far into Syrian territory - left eight dead, according to Syrian press reports.

The attack is especially curious since, according to a report this weekend in the New York Times, Bush appears to have rolled back his initiative of troop-driven cross-border attacks - initially approved this summer - by Afghan-based US forces into Pakistani territory.

The raid also comes as Syria is negotiating with Israel, through Turkish mediation, presumably in a calculated effort to alleviate tensions with the West and the US. The Bush administration's take on the Israel-Syria talks has been lukewarm at best.

More immediately for the US, the raid could complicate negotiations on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraqi authorities which would allow US forces to keep operating in Iraq after the United Nations mandate expires at the end of this year.

The talks on the SOFA have been bogged down, and a persistent Iraqi demand has been that Iraqi soil not be used as a launch pad for attacks on other countries.

"The Iraqi government rejects US aircraft bombarding posts inside Syria," a government spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, said on Tuesday. "The constitution does not allow Iraq to be used as a staging ground to attack neighboring countries."
Dabbagh said Iraq had opened an investigation into the incident and urged US forces not to repeat it.

cont.on link above.
What Syria's Ambassador Says About the U.S. Military Raid:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/...tary-raid.html

10-29-2008, 09:16 PM	#1
Antaletriangle Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: U.K. Posts: 3,380	Why Syria? Why now? oct 29th http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JJ30Ak02.html By Ali Gharib WASHINGTON - A cross-border raid into Syria by United States forces in Iraq, and a subsequent stonewalling by US officials unwilling to divulge details, has led to rampant speculation among US analysts about the origins and meaning of the attack. "So the question is: Why?", geostrategic analyst and journalist Helena Cobban wrote on her blog, wondering if the raid could have been pulled off without explicit permission from the highest levels of the President George W Bush administration. "Why now at the end of the Bush administration, with Washington trying to play nice with Damascus and tensions easing throughout the region, would US forces stage such a gambit?" echoed The questions started to swirl late on Sunday afternoon when US helicopters allegedly crossed eight kilometers over the desert border between Syria and Iraq. According to reports, eight US soldiers were deployed when a helicopter landed, attacking the al-Sukkari farm in the Syrian Abu Kamal border area. The cross-border raid - the first of its kind involving a helicopter attack and US boots on the ground that far into Syrian territory - left eight dead, according to Syrian press reports. The attack is especially curious since, according to a report this weekend in the New York Times, Bush appears to have rolled back his initiative of troop-driven cross-border attacks - initially approved this summer - by Afghan-based US forces into Pakistani territory. The raid also comes as Syria is negotiating with Israel, through Turkish mediation, presumably in a calculated effort to alleviate tensions with the West and the US. The Bush administration's take on the Israel-Syria talks has been lukewarm at best. More immediately for the US, the raid could complicate negotiations on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraqi authorities which would allow US forces to keep operating in Iraq after the United Nations mandate expires at the end of this year. The talks on the SOFA have been bogged down, and a persistent Iraqi demand has been that Iraqi soil not be used as a launch pad for attacks on other countries. "The Iraqi government rejects US aircraft bombarding posts inside Syria," a government spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, said on Tuesday. "The constitution does not allow Iraq to be used as a staging ground to attack neighboring countries." Dabbagh said Iraq had opened an investigation into the incident and urged US forces not to repeat it. cont.on link above. What Syria's Ambassador Says About the U.S. Military Raid: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/...tary-raid.html Last edited by Antaletriangle; 10-29-2008 at 09:20 PM.