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.

[ElisabethInCincy]

Isaiah 17


An Oracle Against Damascus

1 An oracle concerning Damascus:

"See, Damascus will no longer be a city
but will become a heap of ruins

[expatpat]

I wish they had just called in an Apache and given these folks the martyrdom they want so badly.

[Boundless]

> Syria has issued about 2,000 passports to people
> volunteering to fight for President Saddam Hussein
> in recent weeks, ...

How is this known?
It causes my BS meter to twitch.

Not that I doubt the basic story, but I can't imagine that
Syria is issuing press releases with the figures. And if
they are, why would we assume they're credible?

[judicial meanz]

Its high time Syria "got some". They need a good dose of Anglo American kicka**, administered by thoroughly trained professional soldiers.

I volunteer!

[try phecta tom]

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

damn right what if the situation were reversed?

[dinok]

I have had it in for Syria since the Beirut bombing in 1983.
They will get their's soon.

They are right off ther Med. we don't have to ask anyone to land on their beaches.

[ruoflaw]

I think we should just bomb these buses...maybe the rest won't be so eager to join the fight!

[SamAdams76]

It's beginning to look like Syria might be part of the war plan after all. Might as well not leave behind any unfinished business since we're already over there and all.

[Redcloak]

Sheesh! Assad must be smoking crack. What makes him think that we have to leave Iraq via Kuwait?!? Latakia is just as convenient a port!

[demlosers]

I think we should just drop a laser guided bomb on each bus. The easy way to send these would be terrorists to Allah.

[x1stcav]

An Apache would work too.

[Dog Gone]

I think Syria, who is housing Saddam's whore and her evil spawn, is run by Ba'ath party.

It is, but they have always been fierce rivals. Syria was part of the Desert Storm coalition.

The only thing I can think of is that Syria is somehow trying to position itself as the new radical power in the arab world, the leader of the "arab street."

[Pilsner]

You know, having the 4th Inf. drive West all the way to the Med would sure make it easier to get them home, what with the over crowding of Kuwait's port facilities and all.

[alnitak]

Correct. Try this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/801669.stm

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

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.

In the age of the video camera, there's no need for that. Just put a copy of the tape on the bus back to Damascus.

[unspun]

Well, we could give them the dynamite to strap on, put them out in a fenced off area and tell them they can go to it.

[Mr. Mojo]

A rational nation would be trying to get out of it right now.

Hafez Assad's kid has two strikes against him: He's just as evil as his old man, and he's not even a fraction as intelligent.

[Henchman]

Fake copies of the passports and true identity of the idiots, create a few incidents and "let's roll". Perhaps we could let Israel fabricate the excuse, let them go in and then we can "assist" them (if anything is left.)