Posted on 09/12/2006 12:30:17 AM PDT by Eurotwit
Edited on 09/12/2006 12:46:33 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
10:25 Witnesses: Syrian forces surround U.S. embassy in Damascus, seal off area (Reuters)
10:22 Witnesses: Heavy gunfire heard in central Damascus (Reuters)
10:21 Black smoke said rising from area around U.S. embassy in Damascus (Reuters)
Update
Last update - 10:38 12/09/2006
Witnesses: Gunfire, explosions near U.S. embassy in Damascus
By Haaretz Service and news agencies
Syrian security forces surrounded the U.S. embassy in Damascus early on Tuesday and sealed off the area, witnesses said, adding that heavy gunfire and explosions had been heard in the area.
"It appears that the embassy is coming under attack," one resident in the area told Reuters.
There was no independent confirmation of the initial reports.
Car bomb confirmed by CNN. Bastards!
BBC: Two men in the area threw a grenade or a small bomb. Syrian forces "foiled" the attack.
The phones at the Embassy are not being answered.
Got it...
Note: The following news brief is a quote:
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1233653,00.html
US Embassy 'Under Attack'
Updated: 08:54, Tuesday September 12, 2006
Security forces have surrounded the US and other foreign embassies in Damascus - gunfire and explosions have been reported in the nearby area.
One resident told the Associated Press news agency it appeared the embassy was "under attack" and black smoke is rising from the area.
The witness said there "there was gunfire, explosions and quite a commotion" in the area.
An embassy guard told AFP news agency the building was "under attack".
The area is home to a number of foreign embassies, including the US and Iraqi embassies.
More follows . .
11:10 Witness: At least one Syrian guard killed in attack on U.S. embassy in Damascus (AP)
They have people perusing the various wires and competing networks watching for breaking news. Once confirmed, they break into their canned programming.
They did here, but now they've switched back to 911 stuff.
the Embassy has people on hold
they do not like terrorism in their own country, and have their own problems with fundamentalist movements. My experience with foreign embassies implies that the syrian troops around foreign embassies wouldn't play around with suspicious behavior, and might very well foil a carbomb or other type plot (is there any us embassy left in the world that is vulnerable to a car bomb? most of these places are more secure than caernarfon).
we are talking grunts, after all. they shoot things. that is their job.
all this is speculation on the 3 or 4 sentences of 'news' so far, so time will tell.
The area is home to a number of foreign embassies, hmmmmm
I thought they said the phone was answered by a Marine, but he wasn't prepared to make any statement.
How much you wanna bet they monitor FR for breaking news?
cnn has no clue. i have never been to damascus, seen the US embassy, etc., but i do not believe for a second that the building is vulnerable to a car bomb. most US embassies these days are forts, designed or modified with just such a threat in mind.
anyone actually familiar with US embassy in damascus?
If they don't, they should.
I recently saw American Thinker throw up an original FR posting verbatim. Then news sources all cited American Thinker, none cited FR. This was the translated Iraqi saddam era report of an AP spy working for them
Sorry to hear that Mount Athos.
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