Posted on 11/20/2006 10:03:52 AM PST by TexKat
BAGHDAD, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Up to 100 foreign fighters cross into Iraq from Syria every month, the U.S. military said on Monday, as Syria's foreign minister held talks with Iraqi leaders to pledge his country's help in tackling insurgents.
U.S. and Iraqi officials have long accused Damascus of doing little to stem the flow of Islamist fighters and weapons across its long, porous border. Syrian officials say sealing the border is impossible and that Iraq must do more to patrol its side.
"We don't know how much they (Syria) are assisting this effort, but we don't know how much they are trying to preclude it either," U.S. military spokesman Major General William Caldwell told reporters in Baghdad.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem met Iraqi officials, including Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, on the second day of a landmark visit. Iraq and Syria severed ties when Syria sided with Iran during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
It was also the first time a Syrian minister has visited Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and is a rare visit by any senior Arab official. It comes amid increased talk of diplomatic efforts to involve Iraq's neighbours Syria and Iran in helping to end the violence ravaging the country.
Bush's allies have urged him recently to open the door to talks with Tehran and Damascus to seek their help in stabilising Iraq, where insurgent violence and sectarian attacks are threatening to tear the country apart.
But Moualem, who said on Sunday that a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal would be the best way to reduce violence, said he was not in Iraq to "please the United States".
"I am nobody's godfather and not a mediator for the United States," he told a joint news conference after talks with powerful Iraqi Shi'ite Islamist leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.
"In this current situation there is no dialogue between Syria and the United States," he said.
But there is growing talk in Washington that the Iraq Study Group, which is examining strategic options in Iraq, will advocate greater U.S. cooperation with Syria and Iran as the administration considers a change in course on the war.
Washington withdrew its ambassador to Damascus and says it will not authorise higher-level contacts because of Syria's suspected role in supporting violent militants, Iraqi insurgents and opponents of Lebanon's government.
"We still see foreign fighters coming, between 70 and 100 a month coming accross the Syrian border into Iraq," Caldwell said, figures in line with the past year.
He said U.S. and Iraqi soldiers had killed 425 foreign fighters so far this year and captured 670. Twenty percent were Syrian, a similar number Egyptian, and the rest came mainly from Sudan and Saudi Arabia.
Groovey.. set up snipers and kill them as they come accross..
Same with the Iran border.. evidentally the insurgency will be effected.. and the practice will produce very good (even better) snipers.. Oh! and leave them where they fall..
How many enter the U.S. from Mexico each month?
You have to wonder how bad morale is shaken when our military reads that certain elements at home wish to deal with the Syrians on Iraq.
That is 1200 max a year entering from Syria.
Sounds a bit low to me.
Wow. Only a hundred? Maybe we could import some border guards from there.
But Rick Warren said they were peaceful
Chase the bastards 'til Damascus and kill the chief-Bozo Bashar al Ass-hat.
Actually we've been sending our border guards to Iraq.
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/United_States_Border_Patrol
The Border Patrol has a variety of tactical teams, which are trained in special tactics, to respond to unusual occurrences of a high risk nature. BORTAC (Border Patrol Tactical Team) is the official tactical unit of the Border Patrol for high risk enforcement similar to a SWAT team, some BORTAC members have even been sent to Iraq to be advisors to Iraqi Security Forces near the border.
Will somebody remind me why in three years we haven't reduced Damascus and Tehran to ashes? Sure the "international community" would squeal but nobody would stop us.
Aw never mind I know why.
this is the only reason I actually think more troops are needed. Double the number of troops and put about 100k on the borders. Some can do the normal border crossing thing, but give most of them ROE that allow them to actually fight those coming across. The insurgency will eventually starve, though the supply line cut is only one part of what needs to be done (hence the other 100k not at the borders). But this is all conjecture.
Only a hundred? Thank goodness!
And here we were thinking that the dreaded "Axis of Evil" was behind all this messy "civil war" business in Iraq.
This must be a sign that our job is done over there and our boys and girls can pack up and come home. Let 'em fight among themselves, those murderous Iraqis.
(Gave 'em a democratically run new government and an election and all...our job is done.)
See? President Pelosi takes charge and everything's all right now.
(Where'd we get the idea that the US is the "Cop a' the World"?)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1741590/posts
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT
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If we sit down and talk to them, maybe have Israel give back the Golan Heights, this will slow, I'm sure.
I didn't know that. Thanks for the info.
Put me on please SJackson siiiiiiiiiiiiir!
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