Iraq Defense Minister Blasts Syria for 'Exporting Destruction,' AFP

Iraqi Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi accused neighbouring Syria of "exporting destruction" to his country by allowing insurgents to sneak across their border.

Iraqi authorities announced the closure of a border crossing to Syria near the rebel bastion town of Tal Afar where a major counter-insurgency offensive involving about 10,000 Iraqi and US troops was underway.

"I call on our neighbours to fear God and stop exporting destruction to Iraq," said the defence minister, in reference to Syria which stands accused in Baghdad of turning a blind eye to cross-border infiltrations.

"The regions of Al-Qaim, Hussayba, Rutbah and Rommana and others have been held hostage by terrorists coming from all countries and who have found no point of entry to Iraq other than Syria," Dulaimi said Sunday.

"Our problem is that all the infiltrations which bring death and terror take place through the 615-kilometre (370-mile) border with Syria," he said.

"We can not post a soldier every metre of the way but we will find a solution by the end of the year," he said. "They are wrong if they think that Iraq will deviate from its path to democracy."

The Iraqi government has closed the Rabia border crossing to Syria, with the exception of vehicles authorised by the interior minister.

AP: Iraqi Minister Criticizes Syria ~ He said that insurgent leaders were in Syria.....
Las Vegas Sun ^ | July 18, 2005 at 5:52:28 PDT | LOUIS MEIXLER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted on 07/18/2005 12:02:05 PM EDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1445330/posts

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Iraq's interior minister said Monday that Syria was not taking serious steps to stop insurgents from crossing its border into Iraq, adding that he had pictures and addresses of insurgent leaders in Syria.

Bayan Jabr, in an interview with The Associated Press, also indicated that he was not optimistic that Damascus would take measures to crack down on supporters of the insurgency on its territory.

"They say, 'We are ready to cooperate,' and I hope they cooperate, but only talking is not sufficient," Jabr said a day before the interior ministers of Iraq's neighbors were scheduled to meet in Istanbul. He said that insurgent leaders were in Syria "and I have addressees and pictures with me of these terrorists." But when asked whether he expected Syria to cooperate, Jabr shook his head.

"We have to protect our borders," he added.

Jabr also said that while Jordan was committed to stopping the flow of money from its territory to insurgents, many Jordanians and Iraqi expatriates in Jordan were supporting the militants. He pointed to Saddam Hussein's wife, Sajida, and his daughter, Raghad, who he said live in Jordan and sent $100 million to support the militants.

"Jordan doesn't support the insurgency, but the people in Jordan do," Jabr said, adding that "there are many Iraqis who support the insurgency who are living in Amman." Jabr also said that a trial for Saddam Hussein was important to send a message to insurgents that the Iraqi dictator will never return to power. He said that some former members of the regime "support the insurgency because they believe he will return." After a trial for the former Iraqi leader, "they will know he will never return back."

*

Syria, Iraq Link May Have Fueled Insurgency (Syria partners with Saddam's regime, Oil for Food) Fox News ^ | 7-27-05 Posted on 07/27/2005 8:47:06 PM EDT by Indy Pendance
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1451972/posts

WASHINGTON Congressional lawmakers on Wednesday laid out a detailed and disturbing picture of alleged Syrian complicity with Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

And because of that complicity, money funneled into Iraq may have gone to help fuel the insurgency currently targeting U.S. and coalition troops, as well as Iraqi civilians, said members of the House International Relations Joint Oversight Subcommittee.

Syria had a more than $3 billion role in funneling money and weapons to Saddam Hussein during the period of the scandal-plagued U.N. Oil-for-Food (search) program, according to documents obtained by the congressional panel.

The Syrian government, led by President Bashir Assad, isn't saying what it has done with that cash. But Congress fears it may now be in the hands of terrorists not just in Iraq but around the world.

"We see the bloody consquences of the arming of Iraq even going on today," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., said Wednesday during a subcommittee hearing. "I wouldn't think that it would be irrational for us to conclude, madame chairman, that those funds are being filtered to those people who are financing this bloody insurgency that is going on in Iraq today."

Victor Comras, former member of the U.N. Al Qaeda monitoring group, responded by saying: "That's a fair assumption that at least part of these funds are being made available to support this insurgency and perhaps other terrorist activities."

But those accusations haven't gone over well with Syrian officials.

"They need a scapegoat and they like to blame Syria for their own failed policies in Iraq," Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha told reporters after the hearing.

The documents in question, prepared by IRS special agents, have emerged as a new avenue in Congress' investigation into Oil-for-Food.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...

Syria really does seem to have a lot of problems. A number of times from back when Powell was still SoS unward, we have meet with Bashir, and some of his ministers, and at least one key Syrian General that had worked with us during Operation Desert Storm. Again and again, at least that is what we have gotten from public disclosures, they agreed to round up all the Saddamist and return them to Iraq. What the Iraqi Interior Minister is nothing new. Same thing was said six months back and earlier. We had/have the names/cell phone numbers, and addresses of those operatives residing in Syria. Somehow the Syrians never deliver. Clearly a lot of key people in Bashir's government and elsewhere must support the Iraqi insurgency or else they would have taken the appropriate actions. No other way of looking at this point.
Their secret service is not inept is it?

Iraq News newsletter (Laurie Mylroie) Tuesday, 9/13/2005

U.S. Envoy Warns Syria To Change Pro-Terrorist Policies on Iraq
(Khalilzad says time is running out for Damascus) (530)
By David Shelby
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington – Syria is the “number one offender” in the Middle East region working to impede the success of Iraq, according to U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad.

In a September 12 briefing, the ambassador said Syria is knowingly allowing terrorists to use its territory for training exercises and permitting them to transit across Syria into Iraq and kill Iraqis.

There is blatant interference by Syria in Iraqi affairs by allowing these terrorists to come across… Our patience is running out. [The Iraqis patience] is running out. We have given them every opportunity to mend their ways, to change. They have not done that,” he said.

He added: “Let me tell our Syrian friends that they should not miscalculate, that they need to decide. Iraq… will succeed. Iraq is a neighboring state of Syria. Iraq is going to be a rich country. It’s going to be a strong country, a powerful country. It behooves Syria to have good relations with this country.”

Khalilzad said Syrian interference in Iraq “will be dealt with” and “all options are on the table” for addressing the problem if Damascus does not change its approach toward Iraq. “Syria has to decide what price it’s willing to pay in making Iraq’s success difficult, and time is running out for Damascus to decide on this issue,” he said.

The ambassador said he has been in discussions with Iraqi leaders about the transfer of security responsibilities to Iraqis.

We have formed a joint committee since I have been there with the Iraqi leaders and ourselves to define conditions for the increased transfer of responsibility, and we will come to some agreement with them in the next couple of months as to a vision of transfer of responsibility and a plan for transfer of responsibility that will be condition driven, and we will make that known to everyone,” he said.

He said that the security plan would be based on specific goals and timelines. He added that he believes a substantial withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces can take place within the next two years.

Khalilzad also said he has been heartened to see average Iraqis taking increased responsibility for their own security in recent weeks. In particular, he pointed to the actions of Sunni tribesmen against the forces of Jordanian-born al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as a positive sign.

It’s critical for the success of Iraq that Iraqis, whether Sunni, Shia or Kurd, protect their country, defend their country, and the sign that I see in these tribes, in Sunni tribes standing up to Zarqawi, a positive development,” he said.

The ambassador said he is encouraged by the increasing popular interest in engaging in the political process, particularly within the Sunni community, where he said voter registration has been as high as 90 percent. “I’m very, very happy with the trend in terms of Iraqis registering to vote. That means that politics is coming to Iraq,” he said.

For additional information, see Iraq’s Political Process (http://usinfo.state.gov/mena/middle_east_north_africa/iraq/political_process.html).

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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