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December 23, 2004
Syria Housing Saddam Loyalists
Topics: Middle East News and PerspectivesChad at inTheBullPen has a post on the continuing assistance and/or the turning of a "blind-eye" on the part of Syria regarding Saddam Loyalists. Although the U.S. has suspected for some time that Syria was involved with providing some form of assistance to Sadaam loyalists and terrorists, it seems that now there is evidence that this is the case. On Dec 16 the top US commander in Iraq, General George Casey, said that "former senior Iraqi Baathists, including one-time general Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, direct and finance rebels in Iraq (news - web sites) out of Syria "with impunity." He also said that "We have fairly good information that there are senior former Baathists, members of what they call the 'New Regional Command,' operating out of Syria with impunity, and providing direction and financing to the insurgency in Iraq."
Kurdish intelligence sources reported back in November that the
Baath party reorganized its forces at a secret meeting at Hasakah, northern
Syria, in September. At this meeting, the Iraqi Baathists are said to have
elected a new leader to succeed Saddam Hussein - Younes al-Ahmad, a former Baathist official under Sadaam's rule (Kurdistan Observerand KhaleeTimes-Dubai).
Now, there's more. Chad writes:
(...) IRAQ has confronted Syria with evidence indicating that senior Syrian officials have been assisting the Iraqi insurgency, it emerged yesterday.The evidence includes photographs of Syrian officials taken from Iraqi fighters captured during the offensive against Fallujah last month.
(...) US Marines in Fallujah also found a hand-held global-positioning system receiver with way-points originating in western Syria and the names of four Syrians in a list of 27 foreign fighters contained in a ledger.
(...) There have been numerous reports indicating Syrian involvement in the insurgency inside of Iraq. Last week Syrian intelligence officials were captured in Najaf aiding the insurgency. The story indicating Syria's housing of Saddam loyalists inside of Syria has been documented before, however there are no pictures which would provide guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Radical Islamic mosques in Western Syria indoctrinate terrorists from all over the Middle East and Europe before they are sent into Iraq to fight the Coalition and Iraqi soldiers/citizens. (Continue reading ...)
The longstanding charges of movement of foreign fighters into Iraq being facilitated through Syria juxtaposed with it's cooperation with and/or assistance(at least by turning a blind-eye to Sadaam loyalist operations and planning on Syrian soil) are sufficient reasons for military action against Syria should Syria continue it's present course. Oddly enough, the Syrian people are not necessarily anti-American, so I would hate for things to go that far. However, Syria must stop supporting terror, terrorists, and Baathists, and refrain from interfering in Iraq's affairs - now, or suffer the consequences. I expect that Syria is already getting that message from Washington.
Posted by Hyscience at December 23, 2004 9:20 AM
Articles Related to Middle East News and Perspectives:
- Syria Housing Saddam Loyalists - Dec 23, 2004
