U.S. Embassy attacked in Syria and other stories of note

[akd]

Article does not clarify this, but apparently it was an attempted bombing also involving gunmen.

The US embassy in Damascus is reported to have come under attack, with reports of heavy gunfire and loud explosions.

Security forces have sealed off the Rawda area, which houses other embassies, security installations and senior officials' residences.

There has been no official confirmation of developments in Damascus, which has seen sporadic unrest in recent years.

Syria is an authoritarian state where the security forces exert tight control on the population and the media.

A security source told the BBC it is believed Syrian forces may have foiled a bomb attack on the US embassy.

Ambulances and fire engines were seen rushing to the area through the mid-morning traffic.

A BBC correspondent in the region says the reported attack comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Washington and Damascus, with bitterness in Syria over US support for Israeli military action in Lebanon.

The US accuses Syria of supporting the insurgency in Iraq and not doing enough to prevent weapons going to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

In April 2004, four people were killed in a clash between Syrian police and a team of suspected bombers in the diplomatic quarter of Damascus.

The authorities accused Islamic militants of trying to blow up an explosives-laden car near the Canadian embassy

Situation Called Dire in West Iraq

The chief of intelligence for the Marine Corps in Iraq recently filed an unusual secret report concluding that the prospects for securing that country's western Anbar province are dim and that there is almost nothing the U.S. military can do to improve the political and social situation there, said several military officers and intelligence officials familiar with its contents.

One Army officer summarized it as arguing that in Anbar province, "We haven't been defeated militarily but we have been defeated politically -- and that's where wars are won and lost."

Devlin reports that there are no functioning Iraqi government institutions in Anbar, leaving a vacuum that has been filled by the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq, which has become the province's most significant political force, said the Army officer, who has read the report. Another person familiar with the report said it describes Anbar as beyond repair; a third said it concludes that the United States has lost in Anbar.

...

But an Army officer in Iraq familiar with the report said he considers it accurate. "It is best characterized as 'realistic,' " he said.

"From what I understand, it is very candid, very unvarnished," said retired Marine Col. G. I. Wilson. "It says the emperor has no clothes."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091001204.html

An odd report about Cyprus intercepting NK weapons systems bound for Syria:

By Michele Kambas

Reuters

Monday, September 11, 2006; 10:21 AM

NICOSIA (Reuters) - A ship bound for Syria from North Korea and detained in Cyprus on an Interpol alert for suspected arms smuggling was carrying air defense systems, Cypriot authorities said on Monday.

The shipment was billed as weather-observation equipment on the freight manifest of the Panamanian-flagged Grigorio 1 and officials said the Syrian government had asked Cyprus to release the seized consignment.

"To my knowledge their name doesn't appear anywhere on the manifest as the consignee, but they have got involved," a senior shipping industry source in Nicosia told Reuters.

He said the vessel had been tracked over a long period of time.

The ship was carrying 18 truck-mounted mobile radar systems and three command vehicles. "The radars on the 18 trucks appear to be part of an air defense system," a police spokeswoman said. Pipes also found on board were irrigation pipes, she added.

Senior government officials said the Foreign Ministry would decide what to do with the cargo in consultation with legal authorities.

Customs became involved because of the apparent discrepancy on the ship manifest, which spoke of meteorological equipment.

The Commerce Ministry was also called to decide on whether an export permit was required for the cargo in the event of it being released to Syria.

"We will implement the law, nothing more and nothing less. And the political position will be expressed by the foreign minister," said Justice Minister Sophocles Sophocleous.

There are no restrictions on arms supplies to Syria. Neighboring Cyprus, which has friendly relations with Damascus, intercepted the vessel on an Interpol tip.

Interpol, contacted by Reuters, declined to elaborate on the nature of its alert to the Cypriot authorities on Monday, referring queries to Nicosia instead.

Both Nato's Allied Joint Force Command and U.S. Naval Forces Europe, which work together on maritime security issues out of Naples, said that neither had been involved in the operation or the tracking of the ship.

"This kind of thing could well have come under programs like Operation Active Endeavour, but on this occasion it didn't," a spokesman for Nato in Naples said.

It was not clear if Cyprus planned to confiscate the equipment.

"That is not an issue for police. We have concluded our task and it is now an issue for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Commerce Ministry," said Iacovos Papacostas, the deputy chief of police.

The Gregorio 1, which experts say has changed name and flag five times over the past five years, was detained by Cyprus on September 5.

It had initially set off from North Korea. It then left on the final leg of its journey from Port Said in Egypt to Latakia in Syria when it entered Cypriot territorial waters to refuel.

Syria's borders with Lebanon are believed to be a key conduit in the past for weapons supplies to Lebanon's Hizbollah guerrillas.

(Additional reporting by Stefano Ambrogi in London)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...091100377.html

[ September 12, 2006, 07:43 AM: Message edited by: akd ]

[luderbamsen]

I was just about to cry "Politics!", but then again...

Anyway, unless it directly affects gameplay or the units included, I fail to see the relevance. CM:SF will feature US vs. Syria (on the latter's home turf) in 2007. It doesn't really matter if this hypothetical conflict is caused by Syria invading Lebanon or the Syrian UN ambassador mooning George Bush on CNN...

Current security/political affairs in Syria and the region may be very interesting, but I for one, am willing to forego such entertainment in order to keep this forum free of politics.

The thing about air defense systems on the other hand...

[akd]

1. The security situation in Syria is intertwined with the backstory for the game.

2. The situation in Anbar province would have a profound effect on any potential U.S. invasion of Syria, shaping both strategy and operations.

[MikeyD]

Plus we get to see photos of Syrian security wearing body armor and U.S. soldiers carrying shotguns (hint hint )

I get the feeling that this Syrian war backstory's going to be tricky. The backstory could be grotesquely jingoistic - Syrian embassy linked to bombing of Capital building on 4th of July 2007 - or it could be minimalist - U.S. and Syria clash over 'generic' issues that are not delved into in the text. Or Syria could simply be the 'chess board' in a larger conflict - Al Qaed extremists overthrow Syria's government, the world up in arms! :eek:

What I'm interested in is the backstory for the Blue-on-Blue battles. Red Sox fans vs Yankees fans?

[Jaska.]

How about Republicans VS Tree-huggin', Communist-lovin', Gun-shyin', Terrorist-appeasin' and Crack-burnin' Democrats ?

That would be a fight in which no mercy is given nor expected ! :mad: :mad:

[MikeyD]

"Crack-burnin' Democrats"

Yeh, we know Meth is the Red state's drug of choice.

Hey, that's an idea! The reason for the Blue-on-Blue battles is because they're messed-up from all that pure Afghani heroin in the region! It would also account for what I suspect is going to be some really sloppy command decisions on our part when we finally get to play the game.

[akd]

DAMASCUS, Syria, Sept. 12, 2006 (CBS/AP) Islamic militants tried to storm the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday using automatic rifles, hand grenades and a van rigged with explosives, the Syrian government said. Four people were killed in the brazen attack, including three of the assailants, but no Americans were hurt.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. An al Qaeda offshoot group called Jund al-Sham was suspected, said Syria's ambassador to the U.S., Imad Moustapha, in comments to an American television network. The radical fundamentalist group has been blamed for several attacks in Syria in recent years, he said.

"It does have the hallmark of an al Qaeda-type of attack, if we look at the fact that it seemed to be a vehicle, a bomb, with people inside, showing that it would be a suicide attack," Sajjan Gohel, terrorism analyst at the Asia-Pacific Foundation in London, told CBS Radio News.

But it might also be another group, Gohel said.

"We know that the Syrian regime has allowed insurgents to cross back and forth to attack coalition troops. It also has harbored a lot of Hezbollah members in the past. We can't rule out the possibility that Hezbollah has played a role in this," Gohel said.

(CBS)"I think it's very early to try and speculate why this may have happened," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking at a news conference in Nova Scotia Tuesday with her Canadian counterpart, Peter MacKay.

She praised Syrian security agents for repelling the attack, as did White House press secretary Tony Snow.

"Syrian officials came to aid of the Americans," Snow told reporters. "The U.S. government is grateful for the assistance the Syrians provided in going after the attackers, and once again, that illustrates the importance of Syria being an important ally in the war on terror."

"It does not mean they are an ally. We are hoping they will become an ally and make the choice of fighting against terrorists," he added.

The Bush administration has been critical of the tight control that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad has over its people.

The attackers apparently did not breach the high walls surrounding the embassy's white compound in the city's diplomatic neighborhood.

One of Syria's anti-terrorism forces was killed and 11 other people were wounded, the official news agency reported. The wounded including a police officer, two Iraqis and seven people employed at nearby technical workshop.

A Chinese diplomat also was hit in the face by shrapnel and slightly injured while standing on top of a garage at the Chinese Embassy, China's Foreign Ministry said. The diplomat, political counselor Li Hongyu, was in stable condition at a hospital, the ministry said.

A witness said a Syrian guard outside the U.S. Embassy also was killed, but the government did not immediately confirm that. As at most American embassies worldwide, a local guard force patrols outside the compound's walls while U.S. Marines are mostly responsible for guarding classified documents and fighting off attackers inside the compound.

Witnesses also said the gunmen tried to throw hand grenades into the embassy compound, shouting "Allahu akbar!" or "God is great!" It was not clear if any of the grenades made it over the walls, which are about 8 feet high.

The attack came at a time of high tension between the United States and Syria over the recent Israeli-Hezbollah war in neighboring Lebanon. In Damascus, the sentiment has become increasingly anti-American.

Syria has seen previous attacks by Islamic militants. In June, Syrian anti-terrorism police fought Islamic militants near the Defense Ministry in a gun battle that killed five people and wounded four. In 2004, four people were killed in a clash between police and a team of suspected bombers targeting the Canadian Embassy.

Pools of blood lay on the sidewalk outside the U.S. Embassy, near a burned car apparently used by the attackers. A sport utility vehicle with U.S. diplomatic tags had a bullet hole in its windshield, and the windows of nearby guard houses also were shattered.

There were conflicting reports of what happened.

Syrian TV said one car was rigged with explosives but never was detonated by the attackers. But one witness said a second car did explode, and TV video showed a burned car.

The Interior Ministry, which is in charge of police, said a fourth attacker now in detention was wounded in what it called a "terrorist attack." The report, carried on state-run television, said anti-terror units brought "the situation under control" and an investigation was under way.

In Washington, a State Department spokesman confirmed the attack by "unknown assailants" but had few details. "Local authorities have responded and are on the scene," said spokesman Kurtis Cooper said.

A U.S. Embassy statement said the embassy came under armed attack at 10:10 a.m. and that all embassy personnel were safe. One Syrian guard was injured by gunfire and was hospitalized in a stable condition, the statement said.

The embassy's charge d'affaires, Michael Corbin, met with Interior Minister Bassam Abdel Maguid at the scene, and spoke by phone with assistant minister of foreign affairs, Ahmed Arnous, according to the statement.

It said the Syrian government has pledged full security cooperation.

About 30 Syrian guards usually are posted around the embassy 24 hours a day, Moustapha said.

State television said four armed attackers "attempted to storm" the embassy, using automatic rifles and hand grenades. Syrian security guards attacked the gunmen, killing three and wounding a fourth, TV said.

The attackers came in two cars and parked one that was rigged with explosives in front of the embassy but did not blow it up, state-run TV reported. Explosives experts dismantled the bomb, it said.

But a witness told The Associated Press that two gunmen drove up in front of the embassy, got out of their car, shot at the Syrian sentries at the building's entrance, and then detonated explosives in the car.

The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the security personnel fired back, and security forces rushed to the scene.

Television showed a delivery van loaded with pipe bombs strapped to large propane gas canisters outside the embassy. Had the bombs detonated, the explosions could have caused massive damage.

The video also showed the charred remains of a smaller car parked several feet behind the van.

Up to 40 U.S. diplomats are posted at the embassy, which is "average" in size, according to Tom Case, a deputy spokesman at the State Department.

But Washington recalled Ambassador Margaret Scobey after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, amid suspicions that Damascus had a role in it. She has not returned since, effectively downgrading U.S. diplomatic representation to the level of charge d'affaires.

[C'Rogers]

What I'm interested in is the backstory for the Blue-on-Blue battles. Red Sox fans vs Yankees fans?

I believe I proposed in a thread a long time ago that it would be mass overconsumption of alchol and egotistical statements gone way to far.

If I remember correctly though won't blue/blue be limited to quick battles? Sadly a scenario plots won't be needed.

[Blofeld]

TIME thinks the bomb attack may signal the resurgence of Islamic resistance to the Assad regime.

Why Syria may be the real victim of the attack

That would play directly into Battlefront's original backstory of an Islamic coup in Damascus followed by a UN/NATO invasion to restore a "legitimate" government.

[rudel.dietrich]

They had better get this thing out before a real war breaks out!

[Wicky]

US thanks Syria over embassy raid

White House spokesman Tony Snow said the US was "grateful for the assistance the Syrians provided in going after the attackers".

"We are hoping they will become an ally and make the choice of fighting against terrorists," he said.

Will there be Blue+Red v Red???

[MikeyD]

Here's a middle-east scorecard I've been assembling to make your head hurt:

Syria helps foil an attack on U.S. embassy;

In late '03 Iran supplied logistics help to the CIA to oust the Taliban from Afghanistan;

When Kabul was about to fall Pakistan convinced the U.S. to open an air corridor out of the country for thier diplomats then spirited much of the Taliban hierarchy out of reach;

Israel drops 2 laser guided bombs on top of a well marked UN post;

Pakistan caught trying to export nuclear weapons technology to Lybia;

Current Iraq chief voices support for Hezbollah in '06 Lebanon war.

Who said Middle East politics was straightforward? This sounds like Bizarro world in the old Superman comics! :eek:

[Blofeld]

Originally posted by akd:

I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me, but is that soldier wearing blue shorts?

[rudel.dietrich]

Security forces were probably a small detachment of Syrian special forces and probably part of the Al-Sa'iqa brigade I have mentioned a few times in the other thread.

In other words, they picked the wrong building to try and attack!

[Wicky]

Originally posted by MikeyD:

Here's a middle-east scorecard I've been assembling to make your head hurt:

Syria helps foil an attack on U.S. embassy;

In late '03 Iran supplied logistics help to the CIA to oust the Taliban from Afghanistan;

When Kabul was about to fall Pakistan convinced the U.S. to open an air corridor out of the country for thier diplomats then spirited much of the Taliban hierarchy out of reach;

Israel drops 2 laser guided bombs on top of a well marked UN post;

Pakistan caught trying to export nuclear weapons technology to Lybia;

Current Iraq chief voices support for Hezbollah in '06 Lebanon war.

Who said Middle East politics was straightforward? This sounds like Bizarro world in the old Superman comics! :eek:

Add this:

Iran offers Iraq 'full support'

Iran-Iraq relations have improved since Saddam Hussein's overthrow

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has offered Iraq full support in stabilising the security situation in the country.

[MikeyD]

Bizarro world Middle-East.

Reminds me of that old episode of Seinfeld where George realizes everything he's done has turned out badly so he vows to do the 'opposite' of whatever his instincts tells him to do. As a result his fortunes suddenly improve. I wonder what an 'opposite-America' (like 'opposite -George' on TV) policy would be... and what the effect would be!

[Blofeld]

Does that mean that Iran is now part of the "Coalition of the Willing"? :confused:

[MikeyD]

LOL!

[Battlefront.com]

Guys, I gotta tell you that it won't take much more to push us into dropping the real world setting and going with something generic (which oddly enough, will look a lot like Syria ). We chose Syria because it looked to be an interesting and not all that unlikely adversary. The latter has changed considerably over time, with it becoming more likely on the one hand and less feasible on the other. The Al Anbar admission (something that is not surprising) has major implications for our setting on many levels.

Things are happening too fast and too fundamentally for us to keep adjusting our storyline

Steve

[Michael Emrys]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

Things are happening too fast and too fundamentally for us to keep adjusting our storyline

Hate to say "I told you so", Steve (particularly as I don't believe that that was something that I personally made a big deal of), but I think it was one of the things people warned you about.

What you say about generic Middle East is probably going to end up the best way to go, but there are problems with that too. For one thing, the Red forces OOB can become so "genericized" as to lose all identity, which may turn some players off. It's instructive to see the kinds of problems that SPI ran into 30 years ago when they tried to make games in a contemporary or near future setting.

I am confident that CMSF will be a good game and will still sell. But I do feel that your greatest strength lies in doing historical settings that are at least somewhat settled and decided.

Michael

[John Kettler]

akd,

Coverage of the attack I saw last night showed one stripped of paint and gutted small sedan, presumably the vehicle blown up, and a long stretch of wall which, from what I saw of it, was more like ten feet high than eight. The impression I got was that the wall was not breached by the car bomb, nor did anything get over that high wall. I'd say the static defenses worked great when it came to protecting the embassy. Would love some specifics on the intercepted "weather observation" systems.

Steve,

The Al Anbar province angle will make for a much more exciting game. Just think of the tag lines.

U.S. POV

"The enemy's active everywhere, but Syria's out of control and must be stopped! Can you fight outnumbered and win--without taking significant losses in the process?"

"A single SBCT to take a country? Look on the bright side; at least there's (supposed to be) plenty of airpower!"

"When the military pundits say "Syria's no Iraq"

what does that mean? Play Combat Mission: Shock Force and see for yourself!"

Syrian

"The nation's invaded! The enemy of my enemy is now my friend! We must drive out the invading infidels!"

"The U.S. has spread itself too thin, my brothers.

It is tied down in Afghanistan and Iraq, yet has dared to invade Syria! We must make this a bloodletting America will never forget. Iraq shall be as nothing compared to what we unleash!"

"The Americans have the technology, but we have Allah, and who is greater than Allah? No one! Our fighters are strong, brave, and defend their homes

and familiies. The Americans, some on their third and fourth tours of duty, are as spent shells of men, know they went to war over lies from their leaders, and they even send women against us (spits in disgust). It will not be easy, but we shall prevail and make those cursed dogs pay!"

Lots of possibilities! If the U.S. can't commit in strength because of commitments elsewhere, that goes a long way toward balancing the force disparities.

Regards,

John Kettler

[MoNuckah]

Aparently, commanders in Iraq want 3X the troops they have to combat Iraqi insurgents. Enough to actually finish the fight instead of playing 'whack-a-mole'. Ever play that game in an old school arcade? It tires you quickly.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Video_Commanders_privately_express_needing_3X_0912.html

To bring that many troops in, and still have enough to keep up other commitments in Afghanistan (which is backsliding rapidly) and presence of force in other areas (Korea, Uzbekistan, etc.)well, that may require a draft.

Toss in a destabilized Syria, and an Israeli setback in Lebanon, a shrinking international friendslist, sluggish economy and even slower recruitment and re-enlistment rates with lower acceptance standards in the Army and what do you have?

Kettler's mention of the US forces being spread 'too thin' seems quite accurate.

I wonder if they would wait until after election day for a Draft?

http://www.slate.com/id/2133908/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1499164,00.html

[PSY]

Originally posted by Battlefront.com:

Syria because it looked to be an interesting and not all that unlikely adversary.

How about Iran? My impression is that there are still a number of people in the Bush Administration who are hot to trot with trying to take out Iran.

I see a much higher probability of the current administration getting us tangled with Iran than Syria.

[C'Rogers]

For one thing, the Red forces OOB can become so "genericized" as to lose all identity, which may turn some players off.

On the other hand it might make the game more appealing for all the players who thought Syria would be trounced by a combined UN invasion. A generalized Middle East force might actually be more believable to them.

[Tarkus]

I haven't closely followed ME events for a while now, but isn't going with a slightly different fictionnal scenario in Syria still a viable option ?

By completely changing the political setting in said fiction, one can assume many outcomes. Say, actual government is overthrown and is turned into a terrorist haven and training facility thus requiring rapid ground intervention for dismantlement of said installations.

Given, might not be as interesting to some as a closer to reality setting like originally planned, but still a interesting option over completely generic stuff.

My 0.02 $.

[ September 13, 2006, 06:43 AM: Message edited by: Tarkus ]