Community | October 30, 2008 | 48 comments

Syrians march on U.S. Embassy

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7697630.stm

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InformedTexan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7697630.stm

Thousands of people are gathering in Damascus for a mass demonstration against an alleged US raid on a Syrian village which killed eight people.

Riot police, armed with batons and shields, have surrounded the US embassy in Damascus, which has closed due to "increased security concerns".

The US state department and the White House have refused to confirm, deny or comment on the alleged attack.

The Syrian government has demanded an apology from Washington.

It also threatened to cut off co-operation on Iraqi border security if the US carries out any more raids on Syrian territory.

Unnamed US officials said the target of the attack was the leader of a network with links to al-Qaeda, smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq.

Damascus said it was doing all it could to stem any traffic of foreign fighters across the long and porous border.

Iraq has said it will share the results of its own investigation into the raid near Abu Kamal, some eight kilometres (five miles) north of Iraq's border with Syria.
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48 comments // Syrians march on U.S. Embassy

  • keithponder
  • nessie00
    • 0
      nessie00  

    • WHEN HAS SYRIA APOLOGIZED TO THE US FOR SENDING IN THOUSANDS OF MILITANTS AND KILLING OUR SOLDIERS? YOU GUYS SEEM TO BELIEVE THE LIES THE SYRIANS ARE THROWING OUT THERE. THIS DUDE WAS REALLY BAD AND NEEDED TO GO. ONE HUNDRED LESS CASKETS COMING HOME. APOLOGIZE...I THINK NOT.

    • 4 years ago
  • keithponder
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  

    • bush made the argument for respecting another nations sovereign territory. within the same month he preceded to launch attacks into pakistan killing both pakistani soldiers and civilians. Now he launching attacks against syrians with the same disastrous results. He is a war criminal. He should be tried as a war criminal.

    • 4 years ago
  • Broadswordcallin
    • 0
      Broadswordcallin  

    • The white house monkey aside,what the west probably doesn't need at the moment is further heightened tension because those in 'charge' in the US hierachy haven't got the balls to admit they made a mistake.

      Watch out for friendly fire....

    • 4 years ago
  • walski
    • 0
      walski  

    • Wow, I shouldn't be amazed at how bias this group can be by now, but I still am.

      Apology is totally appropriate.

      But it is not like the US has not pleaded with Syria to control their gun smuggling into Iraq, a country that we are responsible for cleaning up.

      It is terrible people died but how many will die at the end of the gun barrels that are being smuggled in and handed to children, who no nothing of the value of life? (I have been to impoverished countries and seen this)

      Let's get off Bush, he is just the puppet in this production. Don't you realize the people pulling the strings are the ones we should be seeking?

    • 4 years ago
  • jh64487
    • 0
      jh64487  
    • walski:

      ...so you're argument then is that, by killing syrian civilians, we will be able to curb arms smugglings into iraq?

      um...no, it actually has the opposite effect as we have now completely lost favor in a nation that is already anti-american. So now basically we've opened the conduit wider.

      way to go us intelligence department for seeing the big picture.

    • 4 years ago
  • walski
    • 0
      walski  
    • Image
    • walski:

      Wow, again. Don't draw so many assumptions. I said "It is terrible people died"

      I didn't say, 'we had to kill civilians to accomplish this' nor does it read, 'US soldiers killed civilians'

      I imagine stopping 'gun smugglers' probably lead to shooting, "guns" not black market DVDs.

      I think we should've never helped Saddam in the first place but I wasn't alive when we did.

      As far as their hate, here's some insight; the Democratic party of the 70's, with the help of JFK, thought it would be a good idea to assist Saddam . Saddam turned out to be a corrupted, greedy dictator so we pulled our help. Then for 20+ years he utilized every form of media to convince Iraqi's to hate us from the day they were born. So I imagine most of Iraq hates us anyways.

      Furthermore, most of the middle east hates us for supporting Saddam and then removing him, just after they were used to him, but they love our addiction to their oil. A true love/hate relationship.

      Here is a good link to get you started, there's a lot more.

      I think Syria needs to control their situation a little better. Yes I do think this raid will curb gun smuggling or at least make Syrians think twice before facilitating it.

      Thanks for your views & I hope the picture got a lil bigger for you.

    • 4 years ago
  • KI4CLZ
  • DreSandoval
  • amberaa
    • 0
      amberaa  

    • This is a perfect example of a country trying to do something that we claim to have the freedom to do in our country. The idea is that protest is a connecter to our politicians so that the people can directly communicate with them. Kudos to the Syrians for taking an act of aggression against their country and coming up with a logical solution that doesn't end in more lives. If only those in Pakistan and other countries whose borders are being encroached could follow suit. I hope America sends a message of peace and apologizes for the loss of HUMAN life. This isn't a matter of well they're terrorists, one was...(if we can find tangible evidence of the fact, or if he was just anti-American) and then seven others died. That is what is wrong. That is what they need to apologize for. HUMAN life is supposed to be valued. Just the lesson for the day...

    • 4 years ago
  • ArmyJuggalo
    • 0
      ArmyJuggalo  

    • While some peacefully protest, who knows what the violent Syrians are planning right now.

      Not even just Syrians, but even people who fight for the middle east as a whole.

    • 4 years ago
  • tanyetta
  • ArmyJuggalo
  • aid616
    • 0
      aid616  

    • I wonder if this attack on Syria wasn't designed to make the American people feel they aren't as safe as they think. Bush wants McCain in office and maybe he is taking steps to get the american people to vote for him when they normally wouldn't.

    • 4 years ago
  • justright
    • 0
      justright  

    • The U.S. walking a tight rope doing border raids, I know we wouldn't put up with it if Mexican government started crossing the border and doing raids to get enemies of their country.

    • 4 years ago
  • daledrops
  • animalia_libero
  • phoenixtoo
  • esk
    • 0
      esk  

    • this is a perfect example of what is wrong with this administration..pride..it's one of the deadly sins

    • 4 years ago
  • kennyJ
    • 0
      kennyJ  

    • If we made a mistake the government should admit it- NOT admitting mistakes leads not only to repeating them but ANGER from those who have been hurt.

    • 4 years ago
  • iloveravi
    • 0
      iloveravi  

    • If the Syrians sent a secret Task force into New York to kill some one they felt was a threat to them and in the process killed 8 innocent americans what do you think would happen to the Syrian Embassy?

      Do you think the USA would wage a bombing campaign against Syria to get even?

      Why do americans have such a hard time seeing their actions for what they are?

      You do not have a separate set of rules just because you are american.

      The report said it was a peaceful protest. You should be thankful for that.

    • 4 years ago
  • IMMININT
    • 0
      IMMININT  
    • iloveravi:

      I agree...

      If the coin was flipped it would be a huge deal to the American people. The difference is, we would riot... because mass American protests never turn out right.

    • 4 years ago
  • punkerton
    • 0
      punkerton  
    • iloveravi:

      Yah, we Americans are too pissed off to hold a peaceful demonstration.. Not to mention, the American public is too scared to form in mass numbers to get attention....either that or the media doesn't cover it so the rest of us don't hear about it.

      Scared and pissed - the American dream!

    • 4 years ago
  • JohnA
  • bloodhound
    • 0
      bloodhound  
    • iloveravi:

      The US military and there contractors,will do as they please,they have the power.Watch for more of this bullying until Obama is sworn in.On wonder the world hates and fears us.(Might doesn't make right)JFK.

    • 4 years ago
  • tanyetta
  • div
    • 0
      div  
    • iloveravi:

      good call iloveravi! very true. If this happened to americans, they would be just as pissed off. AND, if americans rioted, it would still be the other party's fault because their actions led to the anger. I'm not saying that all americans would do this, but that some would.

    • 4 years ago
  • phoenixtoo
    • 0
      phoenixtoo  
    • iloveravi:

      I sooooooo agree. This administration has exhibited such a double standard as far as the world is concerned. Americcan lives are valuable, others are not.Little Georgie talks about the rule of law, yet disregards it whenever it suits him. He is a disgrace, to America,to the human race.

    • 4 years ago
  • iloveravi
    • 0
      iloveravi  
    • iloveravi:

      JohnA,

      Just because something bad happened to you doesn't give you license to go about the world ignoring international laws and killing innocent people.

      Right now there are people in America that are considered dangerous terrorists in other countries.

      Would you be okay is Britain sent a task force to wipe out a target in boston, killing ten american civilians in the process?

      Hell no.

      9/11 was a horrible tragedy. No one with a brain will argue otherwise. However, it is not a "get out of jail free card" for america to be terrorists in other countries. And sadly that is exactly what america is doing and insisting.

      To make matters worse, the highest levels of your government have admitted to having bad intel and invading entire countries that posed zero threat and killing a MILLION people in the process.

      Unforgivable.

      Please have some perspective.

      If this was any other country either than your own you would be calling for the world to bomb the shit out of them.

      Well, time to call for those bombs on your own doorstep I guess.

    • 4 years ago
  • jonny2times
    • 0
      jonny2times  

    • can't blame them. if the french and the canadians were fighting and amidst wiping out vancouver they kill 10 people outside of seattle, we'd be up their asses.

    • 4 years ago
  • nkeg87
    • 0
      nkeg87  

    • Well, in order for us to say sorry, we would have to be sorry and concerned in the first place. Which, I don't think is the case.

      Doesn't mean I think it was right or we shouldn't apologize. But I don't think the people behind this care enough to apologize.

    • 4 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • chillwillNJ
  • sliznap
    • 0
      sliznap  

    • Apologies, honest explinations... I'm sorry for the loss of life, but the guy was involved in illegal activities that were endangering our troops and more importantly the lives of the Iraqis and Syrians... so we took him out and tried to minimize the loss of life as best we could. but let us not forget why the people are pissed off the most, money. That guy was a smuggler, and that means he was paying off a shit ton of people. Now all we have to do is pay off the same people and all is good again. Ahhh... realpolitik.

    • 4 years ago
  • jonny2times
  • calilax
  • tanyetta
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  

    • As long as they are not violent I think that this is a good idea. Answers should come to explain the US side. And EVEN if it's not their fault at all....(possible) then say sorry.

      Sorry is not an admission of guilt. And anyone who thinks so doesn't understand the word itself. People say sorry when someone dies and they are talking to one of the loved ones. It's a way of showing concern in a very difficult and trying time.

      I wish I worked for whoever got to create statements for the White House.....I don't care who is President or what the situation is I could so come up with the right thing to say.

      It's really not that difficult.
      They need answers and the US has to give them...no matter how ugly they are.

    • 4 years ago
  • jonny2times
    • 0
      jonny2times  
    • J_Jammer:

      i agree J_Jammer, as long as it doesnt go beyond picketing and chanting, a demonstration is indeed in order, as well as a US apology.

      there are certian diplomatic channels that crossing borders must go through.

      shoot first ask questions later only works in the movies, in real life we have these things called consequences.

    • 4 years ago
  • guitarmansmitty
  • Juas
  • walski
  • J_Jammer
  • keithponder
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