Officials say Syria Hit was Preemptive

[unhappycamper]

Officials say Syria Hit was Preemptive
October 28, 2008
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A top al-Qaida in Iraq operative killed during a U.S. raid on a Syrian compound just over the Iraq border was about to carry out an attack in Iraq, U.S. officials say.

The operative, known as Abu Ghadiyah, was the leader of the most prolific network that moves foreign fighters linked to al-Qaida into Iraq. He was the target of the Sunday afternoon raid on the compound in Sukkariyeh, Syria.

Last spring U.S. intelligence picked up similar reports Abu Ghadiyah was planning an attack in Iraq. The information - not detailed enough to act on - was followed by the murder of 11 Iraqi policemen. Abu Ghadiyah personally led the attack, a senior U.S. official told The Associated Press.

"The trip wire was knowing an attack was imminent, and also being able to pinpoint his location," the official said Monday.

The officials spoke anonymously to discuss sensitive intelligence matters.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/officials-say-syria-hit-was-preemptive.html?col=1186032310810

[Lithos]

1. Interesting

I figured there was something like that to the planning behind it. Though I am not as convinced that a guided missile (ground painted by recon) would not have been a better alternative than the helicopters.

[Poseidan]

2. or better yet

They could ask Syria for permission, or for Syria to take care of the problem themselves. Infringing on a nations sovereignty is a serious offense. No government can be accountable for every little person.

[Lithos]

3. Syria isn't going to do anything

This is not a case where it is a single person hiding out. Operations such as the one which killed 11 policemen in Iraq require a certain number of men, planning, logistics and of course infrastructure. Unless they have a reason to do so, Syria isn't going to do anything. It is rather obvious there is a certain amount of sympathy or tolerance towards allowing these para-military groups to operate on their border areas and that their lack of action is deliberate.

The article talked a lot about Syria's blind eye towards this and a comparison to Pakistan which is in a similar situation.

My guess is that they opted for the helicopter attack as opposed to a missile one is that the missile one emphasizes the ranged aspect (threat to Damascus), while the helicoptor attack is more limiting in perceived scope (to the immediate area).

L-