Iraq Says Rebels in Syria Control Border Posts

[maddezmom]

Source: NYT


BAGHDAD – Iraqi government officials said Thursday evening that Syrian rebels had wrested control of all four border checkpoints between Iraq and Syria, and that additional Iraqi forces were being sent to the border.

One top government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the border crossings, in Anbar and Nineveh Provinces, were closed and that Iraqi border forces had witnessed the executions of several Syrian army soldiers at the hands of the Free Syrian Army rebels and the raising of the rebels’ flag.

The acting minister of interior, Adnan al-Assadi, was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying that Iraqi forces had witnessed the executions of 22 Syrian soldiers. Mr. Assadi could not immediately be reached to confirm that account.

In an interview on local television Thursday evening, Col. Dhia al-Wakil, a spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, said: “We have sent troops to our border with Syria just in case. We will not accept either the Syrian army or the Free Syrian Army to enter our territory.”


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/world/middleeast/syria-border-with-iraq.html

[leveymg]

1. We'll probably not hear another word about this atrocity. Or, any of the others carried out by FSA

Reporting on Syria is strictly on a "need to know" basis by the US State Department as told to the corporate media.

[David__77]

2. Indeed, the US is busy attacking the Syrian gov't as the opposition goes on IED, assasination spree.

They kill their POWs quite routinely, force people to close their stores, loot, bomb, target people on the basis of sect. Nonetheless, the US firmly takes their side. I feel solidarity with the people of Syrian who are confronting with a very ominous threat of a terrorist insurgency based on theocratic, medieval ideology.

[geek tragedy]

6. Your sympathies are with the dictator.

You were actively stating your support of the use of chemical weapons against the anti-dictatorship fighters in another thread.

Not. Fooling. Anyone.

[David__77]

7. That's utter nonsense.

Syria has done no such thing. You're spouting McCain/Lieberman-style war propaganda.

[geek tragedy]

9. You said that you "wouldn't blame them one bit"

if they used their "full arsenal" against the anti-dictatorship forces.

That's beyond apologism--it's cheerleading.

"Give me an 'A!'. Give me an S!" . . .

[David__77]

11. "Anti-dictatorship forces?" lol... rich...

I agree with the Obama administration's position of non-intervention and not adding fuel to fire.

[geek tragedy]

12. Obama admin is using diplomatic pressure.

Unlike you, they oppose Assad's policy of mass murder and castrating boys who dare call for his removal from power.

[David__77]

13. I support the Obama administration policy of non-intervention.

It is a correct policy of opposing military intervention and opposition to arming any non-state actors involved in the internal conflict. The US support of the Annan initiative was correct. Obama's course of action has led to an important defeat for the so-called "R2P" doctrine, either by intentionally or not.

[leveymg]

14. I never, ever once supported the use of chemical weapons against anyone, anywhere. Nor are my

sympathies "with the dictator" - my sympathies are with the people of Syria, who were not killing each other in large numbers until last March. My approach is not that of pro-regime change propagandists on this board who cheer killing on one side and condemn it on the other.

Your comment is simply wrong and libelous.

[armodem08]

22. Learn how to read a thread and you'll be much less offended. n/t

[Daniel537]

16. Solidarity with the people of Syria?

lol, that's rich coming from a Gadhafi apologist. Seems to me like the people of Libya aren't exactly grief stricken over that thug's death either. Maybe you should do a little search on YouTube and see the massive celebrations that erupted across Syria on Wednesday when the people heard of the death's of those war criminals in Damascus. Try actually living in a dictatorship for once before you actually start assuming that the people in those countries somehow love their benevolent rulers.

[David__77]

20. Yes, solidarity indeed...

...

[Odin2005]

3. Killing 22 of Assad's thugs is an "atrocity"?

[architect359]

4. Thugs? How do you know that?

Brush a bit broad, eh? Generalize much? Kind of a freepish knee jerk comment.

[Harmony Blue]

5. It is a war crime

and if this is how the Rebels will act moving forward I can see why there is concern about the future of Syria.

[Daniel537]

17. To the supporters of anti-American dictatorships it is.

They mourned Gadhafi, and they'll mourn Assad. The rest of us sane folks, not so much.

[Comrade Grumpy]

18. You're okay with murdering prisoners. International law isn't.

[Daniel537]

19. We don't know the exact circumstances of what happened here

or even if anything happened at all, so its best to wait and see if anybody was actually murdered. But in general, i don't weep for mass murderers like Assad. Their supporters and apologists always complain when they don't receive a trial, and yet where was that same outcry for their victims? I notice you didn't bother to mention the murder of thousands of unarmed civilians in your post by the Assad regime, nor did i expect you to. I'll place my sympathy with those who deserve it.

[Comrade Grumpy]

21. This subthread is about the execution of the soldiers at the border.

Not about the numerous war crimes committed by the Assad regime.

I don't know why you would have any expectations of me. I certainly have none of you.

[Alamuti Lotus]

24. your heros cut off arms & legs of the victims, then executed the prisoners in front of the Iraqis..

that doesn't bother you a bit? Considering its you, I'm not really surprised--crass hypocrisy that's not really thought thru all the way being par for the course--, but, um...really?!

[fingrinn]

8. And so the great western con continues

The only news reports i have personally seen contain the words "unconfirmed sources" spouted by Western media over and over again.
It Amazes me that western media can be following the "rebels" camera in hand documenting the "atrocities" commited by the Syrian government with absolutly no proof.
I have yet to see 1 incidence of attack helicopters, tanks or troops firing on unarmed civilians.

[geek tragedy]

10. Willful blindness is no excuse for ignorant apologism for a mass murdering

dictator.

Welcome to DU. Enjoy your (hopefully short) stay.

[leveymg]

15. Don't let that one, above, provoke you into a rules violation. Welcome to DU.

That's GT'S M.O. He doesn't tolerate differing opinions well. On behalf of the rest of us, sorry about his personal attack.

[Posteritatis]

23. LOL. That's the first time I've heard the no-civilian-casualties claim so far at least. (nt)

[may3rd]

25. There are many kool ade spins out there

Choose your kool ade source wisely
If you can verify and vet the source, of course.

Some media outlets do not want to up$et their accounting departments that rely on ad revenue income while citizen journalists are less well polished in have their own personal agendas in what they upload.

Variety is the spice of life