Syria

The Murders at al-Sukariya

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:45:06 -0400

by Reese Erlich and Peter Coyote

Akram Hamid scrubs the grease off his hands after a day of labor in Abu Kamal, a small Syrian town not far from the Iraqi border. Twenty minutes later, the mechanic rides his motorcycle past the autumn-dry rushes along the west bank of the placid Euphrates River, to al-Sukariya, happy to start fishing. It is dusk on a Sunday in October and the turned earth of the fields is pungent. Scattered farmers amble slowly home. A few late-season frogs pulse beneath the birds, chattering and thrashing in the rushes, as Hamid gets off his bike and scoots down the bank to drop his line.

Syria Calling

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:48:03 -0400

by Seymour Hersh

When the Israelis' controversial twenty-two-day military campaign in Gaza ended, on January 18th, it also seemed to end the promising peace talks between Israel and Syria. The two countries had been engaged for almost a year in negotiations through intermediaries in Istanbul. Many complicated technical matters had been resolved, and there were agreements in principle on the normalization of diplomatic relations. The consensus, as an ambassador now serving in Tel Aviv put it, was that the two sides had been "a lot closer than you might think."

Israeli Bombs Are Source of Uranium at Shelled Site, Syria Says

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:16:56 -0500

by Massoud A. Derhally

Israeli missiles are the source of traces of uranium that diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency say were found at a suspected nuclear site in Syria, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moa

Anti-US Sentiment Grows in Syria After Raid

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:01:38 -0500

by Brooke Anderson

ABU KAMAL, Syria - The U.S. incursion into Syria late last month put this eastern border town near Iraq on the world stage and many of its residents on edge.

"At the beginning of the war, we were scared. Then we got used to it. Now we're scared again - and angry," said Yusef Tara, who spoke to a reporter near the site of the Oct. 26 U.S. commando raid against an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq hideout that Damascus says killed eight civilians.

Strange Strike

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:47:41 -0400

by Farrah Hassen

With one deadly strike, the Bush administration has offered a fitting epitaph to its "might makes right" policy towards Syria — and the rest of the Middle East.

On October 26, nine days before the election, American Special Operations forces, allegedly pursuing a "top operative" of Al Qaeda in Iraq, carried out a helicopter attack on Sukkariyah, a small Syrian village six miles from the Iraqi border. U.S. officials claim the "successful operation" raid killed Abu Ghadiya, an Iraqi suspected of heading an insurgent cell.

Syria Puts US Embassy Under Guard as Tens of Thousands Join Protest

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:37:27 -0400

by Haroon Siddique and agencies

Hundreds of Syrian riot police surrounded the US embassy in Damascus today as tens of thousands of protesters gathered nearby to denounce a US raid that killed eight people near the Iraqi border.

The crowds converged on Youssef al-Azmi square, about a mile from the embassy - which was closed for the day because of security concerns.

Troops wearing helmets and carrying batons and shields took up positions around the embassy and the adjacent US residence building. Two fire engines were parked nearby.

Bush Invades Syria. Take His War Warrant Away

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:17:55 -0400

by Matthew Rothschild

Bush just attacked another country over the weekend, this time Syria.

Not enough that he's got our troops bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Not enough that he's attacking sites in Pakistan.

No, this self-described war president can't seem to get enough of war.

Using Iraq as a launching pad, U.S. forces attacked a village inside Syria on Sunday, killing eight people.

According to Agence France-Presse, Syrian state television showed a woman lying in a hospital bed saying, "I heard shooting, I ran to get my son and they shot me."