Syria claims it too is victim of Islamic terrorism
Damascus (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Syria seems to be facing a violent campaign by Islamic militants. Border posts along the frontier with Iraq have come under attack from inside that country, this according to a senior Syrian security official.
Mohammad Mansoura, head of the Political Security branch of Syria's intelligence apparatus, disclosed on Thursday that Syrian border forces were attacked a hundred times.
He made the revelation at a closed door international security conference on Iraq held in the Syrian capital on Wednesday and Thursday that was attended by representatives from the host country, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Great Britain and the United States,
“Our border forces have come under 100 attacks from inside Iraq. Six soldiers died and 17 were injured," Mansoura said in a speech obtained by news agencies.
Mansoura dismissed US accusations that Syria is letting militants cross into Iraq to fight US forces and repeated the official line that Islamic militants were as much a threat to Syria as to Iraq.
For some analysts there is enough evidence to suggest that Syrian policy might be changing direction.
Syria, which has been ruled for more than 30 years by the Ba’ath Party; is now labelling attacks against Iraqi as terrorist, and has shown greater support for the Shia-dominated government in Baghdad.
For other analysts the recent border attacks are the price Syria is paying for seemingly seeking closer ties to the United States over Iraq. It seems that Damascus might hope that its greater commitment against terrorism in Iraq could reduce its international isolation and provided it with greater opportunities to be accepted as a main player in the Lebanon question.
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01/02/2008
