[Peace-discuss] Syrian/US firefight

[C. G. Estabrook]

What would be the motive for American (or Syrian) officials
saying that such clashes had taken place, if they hadn't? --CGE

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 23:21:08 -0500
>From: "Morton K. Brussel" <brussel at uiuc.edu>  
>Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Syrian/US firefight  
>To: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu>
>Cc: Peace Discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>
>Thanks, Carl.  I conclude from all this that it is not clear
what is  
>going on there. One can only have suspicions at this point.
Frontier  
>skirmishes are not equivalent to an invasion.
>Moreover,  information from former and present officials of our  
>government cannot be trusted. Spin is too prevalent,
especially when  
>we don't know the backgrounds of the informants. Yet, I would
not be  
>surprised at Bush clique machinations with regard to Syria.
>
>--Mort
>
>
>On Oct 23, 2005, at 10:29 PM, C. G. Estabrook wrote:
>
>> [Mort asked tonight for the some documentation of clashes
>> between US and Syrian troops.  --CGE]
>>
>>
>>         GI's and Syrians in Tense Clashes on Iraqi Border
>>         By James Risen and David E. Sanger
>>         The New York Times
>>         Saturday 15 October 2005
>>
>>         Washington, Oct. 14 - A series of clashes in the last
>> year between American and Syrian troops, including a prolonged
>> firefight this summer that killed several Syrians, has raised
>> the prospect that cross-border military operations may become
>> a dangerous new front in the Iraq war, according to current
>> and former military and government officials.
>>
>>         The firefight, between Army Rangers and Syrian troops
>> along the border with Iraq, was the most serious of the
>> conflicts with President Bashar al-Assad's forces, according
>> to American and Syrian officials...