U.S. asks Syria to stop militants: Official (US delegation met w & warned Assad personally)

CNN ^ | Sept. 25, 2004 | CNN

[FairOpinion]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. delegation directly confronted Syrian President Bashar Assad -- on the third anniversary of 9/11 -- with evidence that Syrians were aiding militants crossing the border to foment deadly violence in Iraq, a senior U.S. government official has told CNN.

President Bush had warned Syria before about its failure to police its borders, but the meeting with Assad -- as opposed to lower-level Syrian officials -- sent a more dire message, according to CNN Military Intelligence Analyst Ken Robinson, quoting the official.

Robinson said the official did not describe what kind of evidence the U.S. presented to Assad at the September 11 meeting in Damascus attended by an influential delegation of representatives from the Department of State, Department of Defense, U.S. Central Command and intelligence community.

[FairOpinion]

I think this is Assad's "Khaddaffi-moment". They probably showed him a picture of Saddam, when they captured him in his spider hole and a picture of Khaddaffi, and asked him to pick which fate he prefers, and better pick very soon, or we'll pick for him, in which case he better start digging his own spider hole.

[Gibtx]

something big is going to happen soon out of this.......

[af_vet_1981]

I think this is Assad's "Khaddaffi-moment".

Let us hope so. There should not be another warning, only consequences.

[Semper Paratus]

Will little Assad choose well or choose poorly.

He is not going to have time to 'wait out' the Novmeber election results.

[Stonedog]

Syria is going to have to choose..."You are either with us, or with the terrorists." Choose wisely grasshopper.

[NeonKnight]

Assad was reminded that Saudi Arabia is now fighting an armed insurgency of its own, after years of allowing such groups to operate openly while raising cash to support their efforts outside Saudi Arabia's borders, the high-level U.S. official told CNN. And Syria could face the same consequences.

Makes you wanna go hmmmmm........Do I remember my recent history well? Did Bush say in his SOTU address a couple years back, that we would turn our enemies against each other.?

[FairOpinion]

Related article:

U.S. MILITARY STILL BELIEVES WMD IN SYRIA
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1227190/posts

Considering that our delegation talked with Assad personally, I think this is Assad's very last warning.

[FairOpinion]

"Did Bush say in his SOTU address a couple years back, that we would turn our enemies against each other.?"

Good point!

Syria "misunderestimates" Bush at their own peril.

[WOSG]

I hope we left a horse's head on his bed to drive the point home!

[agincourt1415]

Assad needs to wake up and smell the coffee!

[hinckley buzzard]

Syria is a nonentity, militarily, and is in a tough spot with Hamas and Hezbollah operating as a sort of shadow government. It is isolated from its patron Iran, surrounded by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, occupied Lebanon and Israel.

Syria's time of reckoning is imminent.

[pangaea6]

What would be the odds of a double attack from Syria and Iran on our troops in Iraq? Syria just removed troops from Lebanon and Iran has been blustering here lately. Could Iran want a preemptive strike on us before we/Israel hits them. Iran & Syria have got to know their time is coming. Sounds crazy but hey, so did moving an entire naval fleet across the Pacific undetected to attack Hawaii or 19 terrorists using airliners to attack us.

[FairOpinion]

Only a picture of Saddam, when we got him out of his spider hole -- framed, with a warning on it: "Assad, you are next", and hung it in Assad's bedroom.

[Fedora]

"U.S. asks Syria to stop militants"

It sounds like we did more than "ask". . .

[FairOpinion]

Then soon we will see too huge oil lakes: Lake Syria and Lake Iran.

[Jim Noble]

He chose...poorly

[pennyfarmer]

We have to put Syria in time out and then murder, maim, and kill their sons.

[reagan_fanatic]

I hope we left a horse's head on his bed to drive the point home!



"I take offense to that!!"

[Steel Wolf]

This is a picture taken from the Iraqi side of the Syrian border, west of Sinjar and Tell Afar. I had the opportunity to travel that way once or twice. The Syrians are up to no good, and as you can see, their land is flat and wide open. The Sinjar mountain range is the only real terrain obstacle, and it's on the Iraqi side. Its like a smaller version of the Mexican border with no river.

We've been keeping an eye on them for a while, and I'm hoping our diplomats are dropping manhole cover sized dimes on them. If they want to keep causing trouble, they should remember that it's a short drive from here to Damascus.

[Skywarner]

"Will little Assad choose well or choose poorly."

Sounds like Syria's "Choose or Lose" moment has arrived.

[Steel Wolf]

Syria's not going to attack us, because they've got a little neighbor called Israel with 20 divisions of first rate soldiers on their border. Even if Israel sits the fight out and makes like a brick wall, Syria would be like a little guy being mugged in an alley.

Iran, on the other hand, has a lot of stuff going on internally that wouldn't be helped by foriegn adventurism, especially against the U.S. If certain units most loyal to the Ayallolahs were to be wiped out, it would be hard enough to keep social order, much less maintain offensive operations against a high tech enemy on three borders.

We don't really have the manpower to occupy Iran and Syria, but we have more than enough firepower to break off whatever they throw at us.

[church16]

The time has probably passed for his decision to be made. He's got a whole country full of terrorists making decisions he can't alter. I don't think he's sending troops over, but there surely are Syrian citizens who are heading over on their own. And I'd bet the farm he's doing nothing to stop them.

[Poohbah]

"Do it for the Dubyafather, Bashar."

[shield]

Go get'em boys....time to recover Saddam's WMD's hidden in B Valley in Syria

[FairOpinion]

It would be nice if we got them and showed them in public, BEFORE the elestion, but I think it will only happen afterwards.

[JasonC]

Yes it is a fair question, something we should be prepared for. But if they try it we can certainly take them. Their armies are based on Russian tank formations and they can't provide them air cover. The terrain can't protect large armor formations from air attack. Meanwhile our technical superiority in heavy armor fighting is so vast, we took out an Iraqi army of literally thousands of heavy armor systems for total armored vehicle losses in the low two digits. (This is largely due to better vision and sensor systems, but also due to M-1 armor).

They might try to flood light infantry into the country to create a policing problem. But the thing is, guerilla actions require a high degree of motivation and decentralized initiative. Not things they regulars can be expected to deliver, once beyond the range of immediate punishment by superior officers. Hard core activists they can infiltrate, and already are. But those are one in a hundred compared to draftees.

Iran can make other sorts of trouble, in the Persian gulf for example. But Syria being involved does not help them there. (It is largely a navy and naval air issue - to keep the straits of Hormuz open I mean). And Syria has to worry about Israel as well, if they get involved in an open conventional fight with us. All of this is in addition to the obvious strategic problem - they can't stop our air force and cruise missile strike ability from setting off 2000 lb bombs anywhere we please inside their countries. Including their governments and command facilities.

[grey_whiskers]

I hope we left a horse's head on his bed to drive the point home!

Horse's ass would be more appropriate.

[danmar]

U.S. presented to Assad at the September 11 meeting in Damascus attended by an influential delegation of representatives from the Department of State, Department of Defense, U.S. Central Command and intelligence community.

...to cut it short and to the point Prez. Bush forwarded the following message to the little dictator..."don't f--ck with me you little twerp and fork over everything Saddam gave you, or else.(remember what else meant to Saddam, little Assad?)

You have got 72 Hours to comply or your ancient city of Damascus is going to look stone age for real! Smile!

[ApesForEvolution]

Bomb him, drop the really big bombs, more bombs fewer troops...

[Check6]

How suicidal do you think the Syrians are?

[ApesForEvolution]

<"http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1227272/posts?page=13">Terrorists Cross From Mexico!</a>

[ApesForEvolution]

Hate it when that happens. Try this LINK

[stumpy]

I wonder if on the way out the door someone didn't mention "oh, by the way we just sold Israel a whold lot of bunker buster bombs, you know, your neighbors to the west that just recently "buzzed" your vacation home to say hello to you".....

[ApesForEvolution]

Perfect...show'em a receipt and training, intallation complete, operationally ready...lol

[ApesForEvolution]

Perfect...show'em a receipt and training, intallation complete, operationally ready...lol

[ApesForEvolution]

I better hit horizontal...g'night all.

[dennisw]

We held up some photos of the black turbaned retards who run Iran and told them you come next, right after them. We won't invade Iran. We're just gonna waste it's nuclear program or provide cover to Israel as it does.

[hipaatwo]

yep, leave Kerry on his bed

[dennisw]

We held up some photos of the black turbaned retards who run Iran and told Bashir Assad, you come next, right after them. We won't invade Iran. We're just gonna waste it's nuclear program or provide cover to Israel as it does.

[Plutarch]

President Bush…sent a more dire message…

Having the USS Missouri patrolling the Mediterranean near Syria would have sent a more dire message like nothing else. Too bad it is in mothballs.

[wattsmag2]

Just say NO to Syria, with a cluster of Daisycutters that is.

[pyx]

He said a horse's *head*, NOT a horse's @$$ !.

[fish hawk]

Is it just me or does anyone else get the feeling that after the election is over Syria and Iran are in for some big rumbles. Syria by the U.S. and Iran by Israel with back up from the U.S. Time to change that part of the world. Iran needs Nukes for Electricity and power but they are testing missiles they claim can reach Great Briton. Syria is just a pain in the ass and need to be humbled. IMHO

[rrrod]

My 2 cents..The Arab world has a bad habit of believing themselves rather than seeing reality. Should we decide to act on Assad the US wont have to wage a PC war...just some good old fashion a$$ kicking. Destroy their entire military and intrastucture. No ground troops need to be used( sorry Marines) just selctive bombing. Hour by hour....day by day..4 days max its all over...we go in and get the WMD...and thats that. Maybe bomb some more just to highlight a few points.

[fish hawk]

"LET'S ROLL"