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Last update - 18:25 28/10/2008
U.S. official: Syria strike killed top smuggler of fighters to Iraq
By News Agencies
Tags: U.S. raid, Syria, israel news


A U.S. military raid inside Syria on Sunday is believed to have killed a major smuggler of foreign fighters into Iraq, a U.S. official said on Monday.

The official said the successful mission would have a "debilitating impact" on the smuggling network.
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The official said the raid targeted Abu Ghadiya, a former lieutenant of al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006.

"It was a successful operation," the U.S. official said by telephone. "He (Abu Ghadiya) is believed to be dead. This undoubtedly will have a debilitating effect on this foreign fighter smuggling network."

This was the first admission from the U.S. of involvement in the raid.

Another U.S. official said U.S. military forces acted in support of "another agency" in conducting the operation. The official declined to elaborate but that description could suggest the involvement of the CIA.

He described Abu Ghadiya was a "bad dude" who ran one of the most prolific networks bringing foreign fighters and suicide bombers into Iraq.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem earlier Monday accused the United Statesof carrying out a "terrorist aggression" on Syria after the deadly raid, which Damascus said killed eight civilians.

"The Americans do it in the daylight, this means it is not a mistake, its by blunt determination. For that we consider this criminal and terrorist aggression," Moualem told a news conference in London.

He said Syria would ask the United States and Iraq for an investigation into the attack, which took place in the Albou Kamal area in eastern Syria on Sunday. Baghdad has said the strike targeted insurgents who attack Iraq.

The Syria News Web site, meanwhile, on Monday released a video depicting the American war planes en route to the site of the attack.



This was first such U.S. military strike inside Syria since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

On Sunday, A Syrian diplomat called the U.S. helicopter strike on the Syrian village near the border with Iraq an "outrageous crime," adding that Syria reserves the right to respond accordingly.

"This administration ... has proved to be irrational and they have no respect for international law or human rights. We expect a clarification, and of course Syria reserves the right to respond accordingly in the proper way," Syria's press attache in London, Jihad Makdissi, told the BBC.

The raid indicated the desert frontier between the two countries remains a key battleground, more than five years into the Iraq war. A U.S. military official, who confirmed the strike, said Sunday that the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the U.S. was now "taking matters into our own hands."

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      1.   Syria Attack a Shot in US Own Foot? 19:52  |  Arik Silverman 27/10/08
      2.   Nobody takes Assad seriously!!!! Great!!! 20:33  |  Mike 27/10/08
      3.   Assad cannot be trusted. 20:34  |  Jean Van Daem 27/10/08
      4.   "terrorist agression"? 22:29  |  isaac 27/10/08
      5.   Excellent work, U.S.... 22:36  |  marat 27/10/08
      6.   Huh? 22:46  |  Rog 27/10/08
      7.   Way to go US. Syria is responsible for 15% in Iraq insurgence 22:56  |  JP 27/10/08
      8.   Way to go US. Syria is responsible for 15% in Iraq insurgence 22:57  |  JP 27/10/08
      9.   I`m sorry, did the Syrians say "warplanes?" 23:03  |  Angel 27/10/08
      10.   TO NO 5 23:23  |  DANNY 27/10/08
      11.   So what is Syria going to do about it? Nothing as usual 23:32  |  Genuine Tosefta 27/10/08
      12.   CONGRATS 23:48  |  syrian 27/10/08
      13.   # 9 Angel....very shaky shot of helos 00:09  |  Lynn 28/10/08
      14.   #1 Arik ...no, according to the news 00:14  |  Lynn 28/10/08
      15.   A response 00:53  |  Syri 28/10/08
      16.   #6 Huh? indeed, Rog 01:26  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      17.   #9 Riiiiight, Angel 01:29  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      18.   Obama`s apology 02:04  |  Jeffrey 28/10/08
      19.   Assad is not smart 02:35  |  Ron 28/10/08
      20.   #16 Johnboy 02:47  |  Maria 28/10/08
      21.   Re: Lynn 03:17  |  Angel 28/10/08
      22.   #16 Johnboy, it`s not so easy 03:19  |  Rog 28/10/08
      23.   Obviously a lie by the US, fools rush in... 03:42  |  Get it Right 28/10/08
      24.   #22 Nice try Rog 04:02  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      25.   The story unfolds 04:08  |  Dr Noam 28/10/08
      26.   Angel - not in every language 04:27  |  Mark Lincoln 28/10/08
      27.   So what is Syria going to do about it? 04:30  |  mark Lincoln 28/10/08
      28.   Get it right 04:33  |  Mark Lincoln 28/10/08
      29.   Iraqi "insurgents" in Syria. 04:43  |  Maureen Ann 28/10/08
      30.   When was the Bush regime lying? 05:40  |  Mark Lincoln 28/10/08
      31.   Badda bing Badda boom 06:09  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 28/10/08
      32.   #9, ANGEL, can`t understand translations 06:57  |  VIPER 28/10/08
      33.   bleieve america like the WMD`S? i think not 06:58  |  VIPER 28/10/08
      34.   #19, RON on assad, wrong as ususal 07:04  |  VIPER 28/10/08
      35.   POKING THE BEE HIVE, is not a smart thing 07:07  |  VIPER 28/10/08
      36.   "doc holliday" burns itself with fire... 07:27  |  BBSNews 28/10/08
      37.   re: comparison to invasion of Afghanistan 07:34  |  violet 28/10/08
      38.   Anywhere, anyhow, anytime 07:53  |  Peter Williams 28/10/08
      39.   A Barbaric act by a barbic outlaw nation 08:31  |  MiddleStanian 28/10/08
      40.   #38 Peter Williams thinks its grand..... 09:11  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      41.   Who is to Judge? 09:20  |  Seeking Justice 28/10/08
      42.   To Viper, down under .... 10:38  |  Angel 28/10/08
      43.   #41 Actually, SJ, there is supposed to be a judge 10:54  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      44.   #42 Point of order, Angel 11:03  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      45.   JOHNBOYThe "judge" is totally ignored by the Islamists 11:38  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      46.   JOHNBOY Try to stop spinnig for the jihadists long enough 11:47  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      47.   #36 Yes, an important point, BBSNews 11:49  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      48.   #45 Ahh, we are becoming what we despise, hey PETER? 11:55  |  Johnboy 28/10/08
      49.   JOHNBOY "the judge" has worked really well with Iran &its nukes 11:59  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      50.   #36:BBSNews, War Is Hell 12:07  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 28/10/08
      51.   Syria makes noises 12:10  |  Sabra 28/10/08
      52.   JOHNBOY Huffing .Do not expect war to be nice 12:15  |  PETER SM 28/10/08
      53.   What gives the Americans the right to attack innocent Syria? 14:43  |  Murray of Montreal 28/10/08
      54.   Syria Will Respond After the Election 01:56  |  Gary 29/10/08
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