US raid ‘cold-blooded murder’

BAGHDAD – Iraq said yesterday a deadly raid on Syria was targeting an area used by insurgents plotting attacks on its soil, as Damascus protested about what it branded a cold-blooded war crime by US forces.

“Iraq is in contact with the American side about reports regarding the attack along the frontier with Syria. This region is a theatre of insurgent activities against Iraq using Syria as a launch pad,” government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.In Syria, the official press branding Sunday’s cross-border attack – which the authorities say left eight civilians dead – a “war crime” by the administration of US President George W Bush.”The American forces from Iraq committed cold-blooded murder,” the government newspaper Tishrin wrote.”They committed a war crime in killing eight Syrian civilians in a quiet village.”Official media reported that American helicopter-borne troops from Iraq launched an assault on a building site on Sunday in the village of Al-Sukkiraya, which lies just eight km from the border.The US military in Iraq said it does not have “any information” on the incident, which if confirmed would be the first of its kind into Syrian territory.Damascus has summoned the official US and Iraqi representatives in protest, the official Sana news agency said, describing the dead as a father and his four children, a couple and another man.Airspace violation Syrian state television broadcast pictures of the scene, showing a building site with bloodstains on the ground, and the bodies of victims lying in the morgue.Sana said four US helicopters violated Syrian airspace and that American soldiers attacked a civilian building under construction and fired at workmen inside, causing eight deaths.”Syria condemns and denounces this act of aggression and US forces will bear the responsibility for any consequences,” Sana quoted an official as saying.”Syria also demands that the Iraqi government accept its responsibilities and launches an immediate inquiry following this dangerous violation and forbids the use of Iraqi territory to launch attacks on Syria.”Foreign Minister Walid Muallem due in London for a visit yesterday.”This American aggression illustrates the stupidity of the Bush administration,” Tishrin said.In Washington, a Pentagon spokesperson Commander Darryn James said there was “no response” from the US Department of Defence.US commanders say Syria is the main transit point for foreign jihadists crossing into Iraq and have blamed Damascus for turning a blind eye to the problem but Iraqi officials have said Syria has been boosting border security.Al-Sukkiraya is on the Euphrates river across the border from the Iraqi town of Al-Qaim, a stronghold of al Qaeda and other insurgents.US commanders have regularly said the area around Qaim is a transit point for foreign fighters.”I heard shooting, I ran to get my son and they shot me,” one woman lying in a hospital bed told Syrian state television in footage aired yesterday.”I was fishing and I saw four helicopters.They started shooting like the rain,” said another man, his arm in a bandage.”I saw eight soldiers coming out (of a helicopter) with weapons…I tried to flee and I was hit.”Last month, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told Bush that Iran and Syria – long targets of US blame over the deadly unrest in the country – no longer pose a problem.However, on October 16 Iraqi forces arrested seven Syrian “terrorist” suspects at a checkpoint near the city of Baquba, a hub of al-Qaeda fighters, the Iraqi defence ministry said.Syria’s first ambassador to Iraq in 26 years took up his post in Baghdad this month, marking the official end of more than two decades of icy relations.Nampa-AFPThis region is a theatre of insurgent activities against Iraq using Syria as a launch pad,” government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.In Syria, the official press branding Sunday’s cross-border attack – which the authorities say left eight civilians dead – a “war crime” by the administration of US President George W Bush.”The American forces from Iraq committed cold-blooded murder,” the government newspaper Tishrin wrote.”They committed a war crime in killing eight Syrian civilians in a quiet village.”Official media reported that American helicopter-borne troops from Iraq launched an assault on a building site on Sunday in the village of Al-Sukkiraya, which lies just eight km from the border.The US military in Iraq said it does not have “any information” on the incident, which if confirmed would be the first of its kind into Syrian territory.Damascus has summoned the official US and Iraqi representatives in protest, the official Sana news agency said, describing the dead as a father and his four children, a couple and another man.Airspace violation Syrian state television broadcast pictures of the scene, showing a building site with bloodstains on the ground, and the bodies of victims lying in the morgue.Sana said four US helicopters violated Syrian airspace and that American soldiers attacked a civilian building under construction and fired at workmen inside, causing eight deaths.”Syria condemns and denounces this act of aggression and US forces will bear the responsibility for any consequences,” Sana quoted an official as saying.”Syria also demands that the Iraqi government accept its responsibilities and launches an immediate inquiry following this dangerous violation and forbids the use of Iraqi territory to launch attacks on Syria.”Foreign Minister Walid Muallem due in London for a visit yesterday.”This American aggression illustrates the stupidity of the Bush administration,” Tishrin said.In Washington, a Pentagon spokesperson Commander Darryn James said there was “no response” from the US Department of Defence.US commanders say Syria is the main transit point for foreign jihadists crossing into Iraq and have blamed Damascus for turning a blind eye to the problem but Iraqi officials have said Syria has been boosting border security.Al-Sukkiraya is on the Euphrates river across the border from the Iraqi town of Al-Qaim, a stronghold of al Qaeda and other insurgents.US commanders have regularly said the area around Qaim is a transit point for foreign fighters.”I heard shooting, I ran to get my son and they shot me,” one woman lying in a hospital bed told Syrian state television in footage aired yesterday.”I was fishing and I saw four helicopters.They started shooting like the rain,” said another man, his arm in a bandage.”I saw eight soldiers coming out (of a helicopter) with weapons…I tried to flee and I was hit.”Last month, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told Bush that Iran and Syria – long targets of US blame over the deadly unrest in the country – no longer pose a problem.However, on October 16 Iraqi forces arrested seven Syrian “terrorist” suspects at a checkpoint near the city of Baquba, a hub of al-Qaeda fighters, the Iraqi defence ministry said.Syria’s first ambassador to Iraq in 26 years took up his post in Baghdad this month, marking the official end of more than two decades of icy relations.Nampa-AFP