Hey Syria, wait till Nov 3rd!

[yellowwing]

Shells From Syria Fired at Troops in Iraq

By FISNIK ABRASHI, Associated Press Writer

QAIM, Iraq - American troops stationed along Iraq border with Syria are coming under increasing mortar attack from shells fired from Syrian territory, but it's unclear who's responsible, U.S. officers said Thursday.

The 82 mm mortar rounds have been fired at U.S. and Iraqi positions in and around Husaybah in the far west of Iraq's Anbar province, said Lt. Col. Chris Woodbridge, commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.

"Who exactly is firing these mortars, we do not know. But what we do know is that the point of origin of these rounds is on the Syrian side of the border," said Woodbridge, 39, of Brooklyn.

There has been no evidence linking the Syrian military to the attacks, he said. However, the Syrian military has the capability to determine who is launching the mortars and act against them, Woodbridge said.

"Syrian authorities should be the ones to go after them, no question about it," he said.

The mortar attacks come at a time of increased U.S. pressure on Syria to stem cross-border infiltration and movement of militants into Iraq.

The number of cross-border mortar attacks has increased in recent weeks with the latest coming Tuesday night, Woodbridge said. In one night alone, five mortar rounds landed near U.S. troops in Husaybah, he said.

The mortar rounds have largely missed their target and there have been no U.S. casualties, U.S. officers said.

A high-level U.S. delegation visited Syria last month to ask the government to institute tighter controls on its side of the border and to stop militants and their money from entering Iraq.

Following those talks, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld called the Syrians "unhelpful" and accused them of "facilitating terrorists moving back and forth, money moving back and forth" to Iraq. Rumsfeld made the remarks during a speech at Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

While Syria has posted hundreds of extra troops along the frontier, its officials have said it is impossible to seal off such a large area.

Woodbridge maintains that the official Syrian presence at the border is scarce, consisting of a few patrols at the border crossing.

The U.S. Marines, who patrol a 250-mile stretch of mostly desert terrain between the two countries, say the Syrians have not been helpful in securing their side of the border.

"They should be more active in patrolling their side of the border, in searching vehicles, in detaining suspicious characters," Woodbridge said.


Even if Dubya is a lame duck, I see alot of FAE's dropped on these mortar pits! GET SOME!

[Sparrowhawk]

We drop them straight into the ehart of the kings palace, as a warning, sort of.....


Bush would do it, Kerry would call for a summit!

[greensideout]

Here we go---Syria---Iran---You name it!

We all know that Iraq is just a foothold, a begining.

We may have misjudged how we would be received by the citizens of the most liberal arab country. They don't have a clue yet of what freedom can bring them and it will probally take a generation of education before they do. Meanwhile, we will continue to expand into other hostile neighboring countries to overcome the threat of terrorism.

In the years to come, I beleive Americans will grow weary of the war and the loss of lives that it brings but we must stay the course. We must stay the course to preserve America!

Strong leadership now is as important as WW-II, because this is going to take awhile.

Will Syria be next? I don't know, but it sounds like they need a visit.

9-11-01---Never Forget

[HardJedi]

Man. so many targets, so few troops.

[greensideout]

HardJedi, You have it figured out---when will Washington have a wake-up call?

[Sparrowhawk]

Support Iraq against Iran?

It seems like we are destined to do that again, as Iran as well as Syria have been supporting terrorist acts against our troops and Iranian citizens in Iraq.

Time for Israel to get involved and Russia and that would move us into the arena of the Four Horsemen of the Book of Revelation.


and in that war, the land is devasted for 6 months because of WMD

[HardJedi]

ok Cook, if we are a part of the four horsemen? which nation gets to be which?

who gets to be Death?
who gets to be War?
who gets to be Famine?
and who gets to be Pestilence?

not being a smart alec, just wondering who got to be who?

[snipowsky]

Yeah just wait! You'll be next! KILL 'EM ALL!

[yellowwing]

9-11-01? Shiite! We need to pay back Syria for Oct. 23, 1983!

GET SOME.