A Syrian Wink & Nod?

Several reports are now emerging that indicate Syria may have given a wink and a nod to US forces that crossed over their border last week. There isn't a lot of clarity here, but there is some speculation that something is up. Normally these types of stories have a few tidbits, a detail or two about which one can speculate and that's that.

This raid, however, has my head spinning. The more I look, the more details seem to emerge. First, there are an increasing number of reports that indicate someone in Syria may have given a green light to the US for this raid. The Times Online reports that it was Syrian Intelligence that approved it. The Times Online article also makes it clear that the US and Syria have ongoing backchannel conversations via the Syrian Air Force.

More interesting is the insistence in all articles that the raid was "botched". There are reports of a mysterious RPG that was fired at the US helos which blew the cover on what is described as a secret raid. Yet further baffling is the fact that he raid took place in daylight. More interesting is the fact that although some seven or eight people were killed in Syria, and one or two possibly live bodies were taken back in the US copters, and no US casualties were reported - all reports are consistent that the raid was "botched".

Let me see if I have this straight: the good guys kill some bad guys, make off with some possibly live captives, sustain no known casualties...and it's a failure? Can anyone help me with this one?

Somewhere in the middle of all of this is a declaration that General Petraeus is interested in expanding talks with - and even proposing a visit to - Syria as a possible means to drive a wedge between Syria and Iran.

There are yet further suggestions that Syria has approved this raid in a quid pro quo for being allowed to conduct cross-border raids into Lebanon (as if the Syrians have ever asked permission to play in that sandbox). (See the Times Online report link above for reference to that theory).

Of course we also have the original story that the US decided to act unilaterally. Uh huh. In daylight. Eight miles into the border. OK, whatever you say...

And just as quiet as a mouse is Israel in all of this. And remember the raid took place in an area just a few miles from where Israel supposedly might or might not have blown up what might or might not have been a North Korean nuke facility...

I dunno. Like I said. All of this has my head spinning just a bit.


Abu Kamal - supposed site of the raid
More info on the raid here


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By: GladiusMagnus