DAMASCUS —

Syria on Tuesday protested to the UN Security Council over what it branded a barbarous U.S. helicopter raid on a village near the Iraqi border and decided to close two American institutions in Damascus.

The government also indicated Sunday’s deadly raid, launched from Iraq, could have repercussions on ties with Baghdad by postponing a Nov 12-13 meeting of the Syrian-Iraqi high commission.

Baghdad initially appeared to condone the raid by U.S. troops as aimed against insurgents who infiltrate Iraq, before joining in condemnation of the assault on Tuesday.

In a letter to U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, Syria protested “this aggressive act and expects the U.N. Security Council and member countries to assume their responsibility by preventing a repetition of this dangerous violation.”

It called for the Security Council “to hold the aggressor responsible for the deaths of the innocent Syrian nationals,” state news agency SANA reported, quoting the letter.

In New York, Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, said the letters asked Ban and the Security Council “to assume their responsibility” to prevent any repeat of “such aggressive and terrorist acts against a sovereign member of the United Nations.”

“It is up to the president of the security council (Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yesui) in consultations with the members to decide on the steps that should be taken,” he told reporters.

Jaafari said Damascus was “studying taking further steps at many levels” and added that he was awaiting further instructions from his government.

In addition to the protest, the Syrian cabinet also decided to close the U.S. cultural center and the American school in Damascus.

Damascus has said eight civilians were killed in the assault, including children, in the first confirmed U.S. military action of its kind inside Syrian territory.

The ministers condemned the raid, which a U.S. official said targeted foreign fighters who infiltrate Iraq, as a “barbarous crime which amounts to the peak of state terrorism as practiced by the U.S. administration.”

It was a “violation of the U.N. Charter and international law,” a statement charged.

Meanwhile, the ruling Baath party’s number two, Mohammed Saeed Bkheitan, said the raid amounted to “an act of piracy” against a farm inhabited by families and laborers.

In Baghdad, the government slammed the assault, which an unnamed official in Washington said was believed to have killed Abu Ghadiya, “one of the most prominent foreign fighter facilitators in the region.”

“The Iraqi government rejects the US helicopter strike on Syrian territory, considering that Iraq’s constitution does not allow its land to be a base for launching attacks on neighboring countries,” spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

“We call upon American forces not to repeat such activities and Baghdad has launched an investigation into the strike.”

On Monday, Dabbagh said the raid targeted a border area used by insurgents to launch attacks on Iraq.

Iraq’s parliament said it regretted that “the operation took place at a time when relations between Iraq and its neighbors are progressing.”

Syria’s first ambassador to Iraq in 26 years took up his post this month, marking the official end of more than two decades of icy relations.

China condemned the raid, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu saying Beijing opposes “any deed that harms other countries’ sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

France expressed “severe concern” and called for “restraint,” while the Egyptian foreign ministry called the U.S. operation a “serious violation of Syria’s sovereignty.”

The UAE foreign ministry expressed “its deep concern over the implications on regional peace of this act, because the raid constitutes a violation of international law and the sovereignty of sister Syria.”

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem has said four US helicopters crossed the border, with two landing at Al-Sukkiraya village close to the Iraqi town of Al-Qaim, a stronghold of al-Qaida and other insurgents.

Soldiers emerged after the helicopters landed and shot at civilians working on farms, including a father and his three children and a fisherman, he said.

Wire reports

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10 Comments

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  adaydream at 07:36 AM JST - 29th October

  I suspect the UN will admonish the US for this act of war.

  That and $1.00 will get you a hot cup of coffee. < :-)

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  Molenir at 08:00 AM JST - 29th October

  Yeah, its always horrible when a country violates another countries borders. On the other hand, its just as bad, if not worse, when that other country is supporting a civil war in the other country. Personally, I think Syria should apologize for harboring and supporting terrorists.

• 

  cleo at 09:27 AM JST - 29th October

  its just as bad, if not worse, when that other country is supporting a civil war in the other country.

  Syria is supporting a civil war in the US????? Why isn't this top news?

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  Everton2 at 11:07 AM JST - 29th October

  If you play with fire you will eventually get burn. The US should stand by its action, and further declare that it will continue to launch military operations deep into Syria, to neutralize targets it deem a threat to its operational interest in Iraq. Syria's support of terrorism is well know and they must be made to feel insecure in their efforts. That if they choose to use their borders in away that facilitates the insurgency in Iraq then there are consequences.

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  dennis0bauer at 04:05 PM JST - 29th October

  If you play with fire you will eventually get burn.

  Exactly America has a history of ignoring other countries sovereignty just for their own needs. This could escalate.

  The UN is just a bunch of hypocritic organization that protects the needs of the rich countries. I expect nothing to happen

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  adaydream at 10:05 PM JST - 29th October

  I wouldn't be surprised if a Syrian sympothizer attacked an American interest or even somewhere in the United States, in retaliation of our act.

  Syria would be justified. < :-)

• 

  SuperLib at 02:40 AM JST - 30th October

  Syria would be justified. < :-)

  Can you define a situation where an attack by Syria wouldn't be justified in your eyes?

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  Helter_Skelter at 02:50 AM JST - 30th October

  Syria would be justified.

  Liberals always support the enemies of America.

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  adaydream at 03:34 AM JST - 30th October

  Any attack at all by Syrua, on any U. S. interest, before we attacked Syria's sovern country could not have been justified.

  But george bush and the Pentagon have now made it a justifiable act. < :-)

• 

  adaydream at 03:39 AM JST - 30th October

  Afghanistan attacked the United States.

  You have never ever seen a post by me saying we were not justified in attacking Afghanistan. I have posted on numerous occasions that Afghanistan was where the real war on terror existed and we needed to complete our job there.

  In this case though, you want to justify an attack on Syria. In this case you want to say that we were so morale to attack another country on what? After all the substandard intellegence that we have seen in this war on terror, how in the hell can any attack be justified any more?

  Especially on another country. < :-)

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