US helicopter raid on Syria kills eight

[¹²³]

US helicopter raid on Syria kills eight

• Four children among dead, says Damascus
• Washington admits targeting 'foreign fighters'

US helicopters flying from Iraq landed inside Syria yesterday and dropped special forces who killed eight people, including four children, the Damascus government said today as Washington admitted it had targeted "foreign fighters".

Syria warned it held the US "wholly responsible for this act of aggression and all its repercussions".

It described the dead as Syrian civilians, five of them members of the same family. Syrian state television said the attack was against a farm near Abu Kamal, five miles from the Iraqi border. Doctors in nearby al-Sukkariya said another seven people were taken to hospital with bullet wounds.

The attack threatened to unleash a new wave of anti-US feeling in Syria and across the Middle East. The country's president, Bashar al-Assad, is being courted by Europe and had been looking forward to improved relations with Washington after the November 4 presidential election.

News of the attack has led news bulletins across the Arab world. The Syrian newspaper Tishin called it a "US war crime".

Syria summoned the US charge d'affaires in Damascus to explain the attack. It called on the Iraqi government to prevent its airspace being used in such a way in future.

"This is an outrageous raid which is against international law," the Syrian ambassador to London, Sami al-Khiyami, told Reuters. "It is a terrible crime. We are expecting clarifications from the Americans."

Link

 

[maxiep]

Yep, war sucks. What's your point? If we ended up killing foreign fighters, then I'm fine with the collateral damage, although I would be careful to accept the Syrian government's word at face value, as The Guardian seemed to do.

 

[MARIS61]

Bush/Cheney are deliberately stirring the pot over there by attacking neighboring countries, hoping to inflate the turmoil to such a mess that Obama will have difficulty withdrawing the troops (Halliburton's protectors).

Their other objective is to stir up enough fresh hate that someone attacks us before Nov. 4th.

It's called TREASON, and people have been executed for it in the past. My, how things have changed.

 

[e_blazer]

Barrack Obama has said repeatedly that he would favor attacks into Pakistan if necessary to get Osama bin Laden, so where's the difference?

 

[MARIS61]

Yep, war sucks. What's your point? If we ended up killing foreign fighters, then I'm fine with the collateral damage, although I would be careful to accept the Syrian government's word at face value, as The Guardian seemed to do.

By the same token, I'm sure you'll be understanding if relatives of the innocent children killed come over here and kill your family?

 

[maxiep]

By the same token, I'm sure you'll be understanding if relatives of the innocent children killed come over here and kill your family?

We're at war. Grow up. Innocents get killed. I find it funny how quick you are to believe Syria, however.

 

[MARIS61]

Barrack Obama has said repeatedly that he would favor attacks into Pakistan if necessary to get Osama bin Laden, so where's the difference?

The difference between a farmer and his children, and Osama Bin Laden?

Gee, that's a toughie.

 

[maxiep]

The difference between a farmer and his children, and Osama Bin Laden?

Gee, that's a toughie.

Wait, there are no farmers or children in Pakistan?

 

[Shooter]

It's called TREASON, and people have been executed for it in the past.

No, treason is when you badmouth the troops fighting in the battlefield, or say the war is unwinnable, which saps our forces' morale. The Dems are guilty of both.

 

[MARIS61]

We're at war. Grow up. Innocents get killed.

No, we're not at war.

I am generally opposed to killing humans, other than in self-defense, and neither Syria, Pakistan, nor Iraq have ever attacked the US. I would never kill people on someone else's say-so.

You are not at war, for reasons you have not stated, and choose to be a cowardly Rally Girl for those dying in your place in protecting Halliburton.

You could add a shred of credibility to your posts if you would only enlist and go fight side-by-side with them.

 

[MARIS61]

No, treason is when you badmouth the troops fighting in the battlefield, or say the war is unwinnable, which saps our forces' morale. The Dems are guilty of both.

Actually, that's known as Free Speech, a cornerstone of our country's foundation.

The Dems are guilty of being Real Americans, nothing more, nothing less.

 

[CelticKing]

Yes we're at war, we're at war with fanatics, and religion freaks all over the world, but mostly concentrated in the Middle East area.

So any attack is fair, just like they bombed our country, destroyed our economy (this mess we're in now is the aftermath of 9/11), and will continue to attack/bomb/and kill our men and women, and our freedom.

 

[maxiep]

No, we're not at war.

Yes, we are. In fact, I was close with several who lost their lives in the sneak attack.

I am generally opposed to killing humans, other than in self-defense, and neither Syria, Pakistan, nor Iraq have ever attacked the US. I would never kill people on someone else's say-so.

I guess Nazis that went to Argentina shouldn't have been extracted either. I'm not opposed to killing anyone who kills others. In fact, I often think death is too good for them.

You are not at war, for reasons you have not stated, and choose to be a cowardly Rally Girl for those dying in your place in protecting Halliburton.

Name call all you wish, but you bet as an American I'm at war.

You could add a shred of credibility to your posts if you would only enlist and go fight side-by-side with them.

Gotcha. So only those that donned uniforms in past wars were at war? Oh yeah, I almost forgot...yawn.

 

[maxiep]

Actually, that's known as Free Speech, a cornerstone of our country's foundation.

If you care about free speech, you should be at war too.

The Dems are guilty of being Real Americans, nothing more, nothing less.

If it were the 1940s, there would have been congressmen tried for treason based on their statements.

 

[MARIS61]

yes, we are. In fact, i was close with several who lost their lives in the sneak attack.

you were close to the syrian farm family?

gotcha. So only those that donned uniforms in past wars were at war?

yes. It's pretty obvious. When's the last time your life was in danger?

 

[MARIS61]

If you care about free speech, you should be at war too.

Bush/Cheney are the ones threatening my Freedoms, and I fight them by USING my Freedoms.

If it were the 1940s, there would have been congressmen tried for treason based on their statements.

Nonsense. In the 1940's many politicians were against the war(s) for many different reasons. None were tried for treason as far as I know.

 

[maxiep]

you were close to the syrian farm family?

Oh, dear. Someone's trying to make a funny over the death of 3,000 people, some of whom were my friends. It's nice to see that you believe the intentional murder of innocent civilians is equivalent to the regrettable alleged deaths of civilians in a war zone, put into danger by cowards trying to hide among them.

yes. It's pretty obvious. When's the last time your life was in danger?

Never, thanks to our brave troops. You should realize they not only protect our lives, but our freedoms.

 

[maxiep]

Bush/Cheney are the ones threatening my Freedoms, and I fight them by USING my Freedoms.

You continue to believe that. If you really want your freedoms threatened, try living under Sharia law.

Nonsense. In the 1940's many politicians were against the war(s) for many different reasons. None were tried for treason as far as I know.

Yes, they were pacifists. They had philosophical differences, not political ones. They never put the Nazis on the same moral level as our troops. They never accused US troops of war crimes before they were even tried.

 

[MARIS61]

Never, thanks to our brave troops. You should realize they not only protect our lives, but our freedoms.

None of these countries, or their dead citizens, have ever threatened me in any way, shape, or form.

To protect my Freedoms, they would have to storm the White House, and imprison Bush/Cheney.

Oh, dear. Someone's trying to make a funny over the death of 3,000 people, some of whom were my friends. It's nice to see that you believe the intentional murder of innocent civilians is equivalent to the regrettable alleged deaths of civilians in a war zone, put into danger by cowards trying to hide among them.

The mass-murder you are waving as justification has been proven to be perpetrated by 19 puppets from SAUDI ARABIA.

Why aren't we fighting in SAUDI ARABIA?
Because Halliburton doesn't need our protection there.

Why haven't we made any attempt to capture or kill Bin Laden in 7 friggin' years?
Because the Bush and Bin Laden families are 2 peas in a pod, and co-conspirators.

 

[maxiep]

None of these countries, or their dead citizens, have ever threatened me in any way, shape, or form.

How do you know?

To protect my Freedoms, they would have to storm the White House, and imprison Bush/Cheney.

I always love when you make a post just to say something silly.

The mass-murder you are waving as justification has been proven to be perpetrated by 19 puppets from SAUDI ARABIA.

Why aren't we fighting in SAUDI ARABIA?
Because Halliburton doesn't need our protection there.

I bet you're really good at checkers. Too bad war is chess.

Why haven't we made any attempt to capture or kill Bin Laden in 7 friggin' years?
Because the Bush and Bin Laden families are 2 peas in a pod, and co-conspirators.

Ah, so because there has been nothing advertised, you believe we're not trying to capture him? Great stuff. Highly entertaining.

 

[hasoos]

You folks up above are just silly with your extreme views.

I just seems to me when you look at the series of events, and the outrage it raises in the middle east, all of that for 8 foreign fighters? Those 8 foreign fighters had better been hell of important, because it seems like an awful lot of effort, and an awful lot of diplomatic heat will have to be dealt with for 8 foreign fighters.

 

[MARIS61]

Ah, so because there has been nothing advertised, you believe we're not trying to capture him? Great stuff. Highly entertaining.

Because 7+ years have passed and our troops and their commanders have said repeatedly that Bush/Cheney have tied their hands, withdrawn forces, re-directed them each time they got close.

How pathetic and impotent do you think our armed forces and intelligence network are? Do you really think Bin Laden is all that? A dude in a cave? Get real.

Glad you're amused that Bush/Cheney continue to guarantee the safety of a mass-murderer of Americans including some friends of yours. With friends like you...

 

[MARIS61]

You folks up above are just silly with your extreme views.

I just seems to me when you look at the series of events, and the outrage it raises in the middle east, all of that for 8 foreign fighters? Those 8 foreign fighters had better been hell of important, because it seems like an awful lot of effort, and an awful lot of diplomatic heat will have to be dealt with for 8 foreign fighters.

"awful lot of diplomatic heat will have to be dealt with "

Mission accomplished.

 

[DaRizzle]

My dad is in Syria right now visiting my uncle who drove there from Iraq...I got an email from him this morning 415am pacific time, that he is going to Damascus...he better not get killed

 

[¹²³]

Yep, war sucks. What's your point?

War sucks.

 

[Denny Crane]

You could add a shred of credibility to your posts if you would only enlist and go fight side-by-side with them.

Do you stop and help put out a house fire when you see one? I bet it's because you're not a fireman. Some people aren't soldiers either.

 

[BrianFromWA]

War sucks.

So does letting people get away with attacking you.

As someone who I hope has some shred of cred when it comes to military stuff in here, please believe me when I say that you can't trust the stuff that Al-Jazeera etc. puts over the airwaves. I'm briefed on intel of operations generally similar to this one.

One example from last year. We (the US, not me and my poker buddies) attacked a "stronghold" of Al-Qaeda fighters that were, let's just say, "multi-national in nature". We had 14 confirmed dead, and photos of the 14 to add/corraborate them in the intel databases. Al-Jazeera also reported 14 dead. They said it was 6 women and 8 children in a botched attempt of a raid.

It's amazing to me that people think people in uniform get their rocks off by killing babies and farmers. These are men and women from your towns, educated in your schools, played on your little league teams, etc. Is it too much to ask you to have more faith in them than in Al-Jazeera?

If you have a chance, watch "V for Vendetta" sometime. The "News Service" is a lot like what goes on behind "the CNN of the Middle East".

 

[Denny Crane]

CNN is partners with Al Jazeera and is Obama's mouthpiece. Hrm.....

 

[Tortimer]

You could add a shred of credibility to your posts if you would only enlist and go fight side-by-side with them.

I would go back in the Army in a heart beat if I wasn't so old and they would take me. The day 911 happened I would have gone back in the Army if I could have.

 

[Shooter]

Do you stop and help put out a house fire when you see one? I bet it's because you're not a fireman. Some people aren't soldiers either.

Great point. Props to you.