Rebels aided by sources in Syria, U.S. says (Syria behind Insurgency DRUDGE)

Drudge ^

[Minus_The_Bear]

U.S. military intelligence has concluded the Iraqi insurgency is being directed to a greater degree than previously thought from Syria, where former Saddam Hussein loyalists have found sanctuary and are channeling money, other support, the WASHINGTON POST will report in Wednesday editions... DEVELOPING...

Link to Article and EXCERPT:

Rebels Aided By Sources in Syria, U.S. Says

Rebels Aided By Sources in Syria, U.S. Says

Baathists Reportedly Relay Money, Support

U.S. military intelligence officials have concluded that the Iraqi insurgency is being directed to a greater degree than previously recognized from Syria, where they said former Saddam Hussein loyalists have found sanctuary and are channeling money and other support to those fighting the established government.

Based on information gathered during the recent fighting in Fallujah, Baghdad and elsewhere in the Sunni Triangle, the officials said that a handful of senior Iraqi Baathists operating in Syria are collecting money from private sources in Saudi Arabia and Europe and turning it over to the insurgency.

In some cases, evidence suggests that these Baathists are managing operations in Iraq from a distance, the officials said. A U.S. military summary of operations in Fallujah noted recently that troops discovered a global positioning signal receiver in a bomb factory in the western part of the city that "contained waypoints originating in western Syria."

Concerns about Syria's role in Iraq were also expressed in interviews The Washington Post conducted yesterday with Jordan's King Abdullah and Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar. "There are people in Syria who are bad guys, who are fugitives of the law and who are Saddam remnants who are trying to bring the vicious dictatorship of Saddam back," Yawar said. "They are not minding their business or living a private life. They are . . . disturbing or undermining our political process."...."

[olde north church]

I'm no Johnny-come-lately to the argument the path to victory in Iraq is through the streets of Damascus and Teheran.
and you can search my comments on that!!!

[Go_Raiders]

You are correct, Sir!

I'll bet that all significant infrastructure in Syria could be flattened in a week of Rolling Thunder or Linebacker type operations.

I say 24 hours warning for them to turn over the Ringleaders and all Iraq related hardware/documentation, then Let Slip the Dogs...

[Tread]

[DannyTN]

"I'm certain that the each would come to the others' aide following attack by the US Armed Forces. LOL!"

Ok, maybe that should read, there's a very small chance that if you invade one you get the other. Hey, but I can hope can't I. They both need to fall.

[Scutter]

IMO, we should invade and subdue Syria, as required by the "Bush Doctrine", and then send Iran a "cable" with the following statement: "We Know Where You Live."

With what troops? Aren't we already stretched pretty thin?

[lechtellhavel]

Yes, it would be VERY satisfying to blow some new holes in both Iran and Syria. However, we are stretched thin and there are people in both countries who are as fed up with their governments as we are...

An active program of supporting any democratic elements in both countries coupled with a program of destabilizing their Islamofascist governments woud be just as effective as military invasion and much, much cheaper in terms of the precious lives of our brave heroes in uniform!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

If we can get more Iraqi troops up to speed that will free lots of our troops....

[1Old Pro]

Syria should be added to the axis of evil countries.

[SFC Chromey]

I concur! Then we could bring the Navy into the fight with their big guns along the shore.

Imagine, the US covering everything east of the Mediterranean Sea. Now that would be impressive, but highly unlikely with how stretched the troops are now.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good point!

[Sprite518]

We need to tell Syria they have 30 days to get all the insurgents out, and tighten their boarders. However, if we find one more insurgent that came from Syria, then we are coming in to take control of their country.

[SFC Chromey]

Pressure the EU/UN to go afer Iran ???


They did that, and the EU/UN had no backbone...of course!

[bushfamfan]

We know they have the WMD too.

[bushfamfan]

I hope they mortar Syria back?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for your service!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Now that would be impressive, but highly unlikely with how stretched the troops are now.

It seems to me , that the more politically correct we are in our war fighting strategy the more troops we need.....

The World Socialist organizations have pretty well neutered our major war fighting capabilities....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks, we ought to capture that document...............

______________________________________________________________________

25 Kislev 5765 8 December, 2004

Wednesday 10:53 PM Israel Time

  Print This Article

Jordan renews territorial dispute against SyriaActing in coordination with Washington, to pressure Bashar Assad to cease ongoing cooperation with Iraqi insurgents and vacate Lebanon Maariv International Jordan has decided to renew a long dormant territorial dispute with Syria, and has issued Damascus with a formal demand to return territory illegaly seized in 1970. This has been confirmed by western intelligence sources. Jordanian officials have refused to comment. In September 1970 Syria attempted to invade Jordan and overthrow King Hussein, under the pretext of assisting the PLO uprising against the Jordanian government, in what became known as “Black September”. Syrian president Nur’a din Attassi sent his 5th Armored division to invade Jordan and assist embattled PLO leader Arafat, who was besieged in Amman’s refugee camps after having launched an unsuccessful uprising against the Hashemite dynasty. The invasion collapsed after Syrian air force commander Hafez Assad refused to allow his air force to provide air cover to the Syrian armor, out of fear Israel would send its air force to the aid of the Jordanian monarch. RJAF gave their ground forces effective air cover, almost annihilating the Syrian tanks in Jordan. In the wake of the debacle Assad succeeded in overthrowing Attassi in a bloodless coup, and assumed the presidency. However Syria retained in control of some 125 square kilometers (48 square miles) of Jordanian territory, which it holds to this day, and in which some 17,000 Syrians have been resettled. Prior to his death in 1999, King Hussein made several demands of Syria to return his land, but to no avail. Some 20,000 Syrian settlers now occupy the site under the protection of Syrian soldiers and police. The renewed Jordanian demand is based on the 1923 map, which delineated the border between what was then the British controlled East Palestine and French occupied Syria. The Jordanians claim the map clearly shows the disputed land belongs to Jordan. In addition to the map, the claim also includes a subtle hint that force could be used if all else fails, was made at the behest of Washington. The US is angry and frustrated at Syria, which has brazenly flouted promises and commitments to end its clandestine cooperation with the Sunni insurgents in Iraq. In addition Syria has refused to honor a UN demand to live up to its commitment to vacate Lebanon. Instead Assad has acted to increase Syria’s hold over Beirut, replacing former premier Al Hariri with a hand picked stooge. As reported in Maariv International about a month ago, Syria has also, in coordination with its Iranian ally, allowed al Qaeda operatives to set up base on the Lebanese coast, in an area controlled by Hezbollah. Washington gave Jordan the go ahead after US intelligence caught wind that Damascus was two-timing it. On September 27, after the military cooperation accord was supposed to have gone into effect, Syrian vice president Abdel-Halim Khaddam paid a secret visit to the Syrian frontier town of Abu Kamal, across from Iraq's al-Qaim. The purpose of the visit was to discuss with the tribes who live in the border region and control the smuggling industry how to continue to allow the Iraqis to continue funneling arms, money and information across the border without being noticed by Uncle Sam’s prying eyes. The move also hints that the US may be coming closer to accepting Israel’s position regarding the future of the Golan Heights. Syria’s justification for keeping the land is that some 20,000 Syrians currently live there. This is almost the exact same number of Israelis living on the Golan. Golan "linkage" is the last thing Syria needs as tensions with Jordan heat up. (2004-10-29 13:32:12.0)

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[ParadigmLost]

The next fight will be to get the UN to recognize the elected Iraq government. Once that occurs, any subversive actions by Iran or Syria have to be condemned by the UN.

If the UN doesn't condemn, they will be putting another nail in their own coffin.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See detail in #157.

This is heating up real good!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The poker game continues.......