Syria gives passports to suicide bombers (ACT OF WAR)

The Times ^ | April 2, 2003 | Michael Binyon

[MadIvan]

THE SAS has arrested four busloads of suspected suicide bombers and would-be fighters in Iraq’s western desert.

The men, who are being held as prisoners of war, came from various Arab countries but all carried Syrian passports. They are thought to be among thousands of Arab zealots making their way to the battle front.

Syria has issued about 2,000 passports to people volunteering to fight for President Saddam Hussein in recent weeks, raising serious concerns in Britain and America, which suspects Damascus of smuggling war supplies to Iraq. The coalition is to protest to the Syrians.

Syrian officials have made no secret of their sympathy for the resistance of “the Iraqi people” to coalition attacks, although they have not voiced public support for Saddam.

Damascus has rejected accusations by Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary, that Syria has provided Iraq with night-vision goggles.

The big worry is that many of the volunteers receiving passports may be suicide bombers, including Palestinians hoping to avenge themselves for US support of Israel. A captured Iraqi general said last week that up to 4,000 suicide bombers were ready.

British sources believe that up to 600 volunteers have crossed from Syria into Iraq or are about to do so. Sending fighters to join a combatant army is a clear breach of neutrality. “The Syrians are playing with fire,” one source said yesterday.

In Jerusalem, Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defence Minister, said that Israel viewed as “very grave” Syria’s role in helping the volunteers. He also issued a veiled warning to President Assad over comments in a Lebanese newspaper that Syria could be the next target in America’s War on Terror “as long as Israel exists”.

Mr Mofaz said that Mr Assad had effectively ruled out a peace agreement with Israel.

[The_Dogs_Of_War]

FIRST BAGHDAD, then...ON TO DAMASCUS!!

[MHGinTN]

We do not control the border with Syria. It's long and the Al Shamiya desert along that border is not so hard to cross.

[The_Dogs_Of_War]

Well, not exactly. Saddam's Border Guards are still at the controls in the border crossings - Jordan, Syria.

[Mr. Mojo]

Syria is dust, and I think they're beginning to understanding that.

Your handle is the title of one of my favorite books (by Frederick Forsyth).

[Alas Babylon!]

After WWI the British got Iraq, Palestine and Jordan, and Kuwait was carved out of the Iraqi part, the Saudis formed their own country, and France got Syria and Lebanon.

France, Syria? Figures!

[sheik yerbouty]

Amen.

[CyberAnt]

Yep! Isaiah 17:1 - The burden of Damascus. It has been taken away from being a city, it has become a ruinous heap. I believe Israel will have the priviledge of causing this scripture to come to pass.

[CyberAnt]

Yes! Isaiah 17:1 - The burden of Damascus. It has been taken away from being a city, it has become a ruinous heap.

[CyberAnt]

I saw film after film of these people getting on busses - and this one guy who was seeing his brother off who said, "I told my brother, look for the USA/UK label on their shirt - and KILL THEM". Nice huh??

Being the nice people we are - we just arrested them. For my money, we should have cluster bombed them!!

[The Old Hoosier]

Just keep sending them along...

[unspun]

Practice makes perfect!

[Kenton]

Tell ya, they are luckier to get the Gitmo bus.

Yeah, these guys are going to GITMO for sure. Can you say "illegal combatant"?

Probably not quite the paradise they envisioned.

get the Gitmo bus

I don't know about any busses to or at GITMO, but I certainly remember the "cattle cars" they used to shuttled drunk enlisted men between the "Horrible Whitehat" (The EM Club) and the pier.

[truthandlife]

BUMP

[Destro]

No-they were part of the late and still great Roman Empire-Eastern Division.

[KriegerGeist]

"Arrested!? Line them all up. Then shoot all of them - except for one. Put that one back on the bus and send him back to Syria."

Agreed. Better now that we have them than later. But, all except the drivers. Let them drive the buses back to Syria with Syrian suicide bombers and terrorist fighters wearing a "third eye" right in the middle of their foreheads. Send the busses with the sign or message: "This bus is returning to Baghdad as soon as it's passengers disembark and the bus is refilled...all martyrs and suicide bombers for a line to the left."

[TADSLOS]

The next evildoer nation in our sights, hopefully.