Bill Kristol reflects on President Bush's declaration to view nations supportive of terror as terrorists themselves. Getting Serious About Syria provides details of how Syria is currently recruiting, financing and transporting terrorist fighters into Iraq to confront the Ameircan military.
THE STORY was in the December 2, 2004, London Daily Telegraph, on page 14, by Jack Fairweather, datelined Damascus. Its headline: "All aboard the terrorists' bus to Iraq. Mujahideen mosques are springing up all over Syria to arm militants and send them across the border to do battle with the hated Americans."
Abdullah, originally from the Aleppo area, and the other fighters, were provided with Iraqi passports and weapons. Abdullah was given a bazooka to carry.
They were told they would be relieving Syrian mujahideen already in Iraq, part of a regular "troop" rotation, and would be expected to fight until they in turn were either killed or replaced.
Sheikh Latif al-Jabouri, who runs the mosque, claims the Syrians he shelters are businessmen who come to buy and sell cars and pray. Inside the mosque, Abdullah was greeted by a former Iraqi military officer. He was assigned to a 10-man unit of Iraqi guerrillas, and the other Syrians he traveled with were spread among other units.
Im certain no one is excited about the possibility that this conflict will spread into Syria and or Iran. But we can't simply go on permitting a neighboring state to, in effect, make war on us without taking some definitive steps to counter the threat. If we do find that we have to address it, I hope we do it fast, hard and with a tremendous amount of air power first.
We granted the NVA and the Viet Cong sanctuary and almost uninhibited resupply in Southeast Asia. We cannot let it happen here.
Posted by: George | Monday, December 13, 2004 at 10:35 PM