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Syria-Lebanon
Syrians Angry At America
2003-07-15
Potentially interesting subject rendered meaningless and dull by typical junk from New York Times journalists reporters
On this desolate stretch of desert along the Iraqi frontier, tensions with the American soldiers just across the border are running so high, Syrian soldiers say, that four fedayeen villagers have been shot by American soldiers in the past month. Soldiers on the Syrian side of the border said American soldiers shot dead two cousins, one Iraqi and one Syrian, as they crossed into Iraqi territory about three weeks ago. Since then, they said, two other Syrian possible guerillas civilians have been wounded in separate incidents this month. The Syrians said that American helicopters and planes routinely violate Syrian airspace while patrolling. The events described at this Syrian border post are the latest in a series of incidents along the frontier. They include the American attack, on June 18, on a convoy suspected of ferrying loyalists of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader. That incident, along a smugglers’ route about 30 miles from here, and the others have apparently fueled intense anti-American rage
the word "rage" appears 3 times in this article
in the villages on the border. Among the signs of that anger
the word "anger" is repeated 4 times, but they didn’t use "seethe" or "boil"
is a series of video discs circulating through the villages exhorting viewers to attack the Americans in Iraq.
Blech. Jihadi snuff videos. No doubt some of Saudywood’s finest productions. They’re everywhere the jihadis go so maybe some of the folks in this area....
Indeed, the locals here say the anger is high enough to prompt young Syrians to go across the border to stage attacks against Americans soldiers.
...are engaging in jihad.
It is unclear whether the four villagers shot in the recent incidents had crossed into Iraq with that intention.
Nah, that seems highly unlikely.
American officials could not be reached today to discuss the accusations. Although Syrian officials said American soldiers were as close as 25 yards from the Syrian posts, an American reporter
wait, the author didn’t go himself?!
who visited the border was blocked by Syrian soldiers from getting close enough to contact the Americans.
So you’re telling us that the whole piece comes from material provided by a stringer, using unconfirmed reports from Syrian sources, right?
Villagers say the 300-mile frontier, mostly desert, is traversed by smugglers as well, and that much of the trouble the Americans have encountered has been from their effort to contain smuggling.
Smuggling what? I guess such trivial details are unworthy of The NYTimes’ attention.
When a reporter approached the house of the man said to have been killed after wandering into the no-man’s land, he was approached by two men who said they had been sent by the Syrian secret police. Stay out of the village, the men said. The other man said to have been wounded by the Americans could not be located.
Great reporting guys! Unsubstantiated rumors and sloppy analysis Pulitzer worthy stuff from the New York Times about the situation on the Syrian border. But there’s more...
There are other indications here that anger against the Americans is running strong. A Syrian man in the nearby village of Abu Kamal invited an American reporter into his home for lunch, and then began to play videos exhorting Muslims to fight against the Americans in Iraq.
Was this a video or were they watching the BBC?
"Jihad is oxygen," one of the videos said. "Without jihad, the future prospects for peace, freedom and prosperity for the region increase dramatically we cannot breathe." One of the videos played by the Syrian man, Sulaiman Abu Ibrahim, showed what appeared to be the beheading of a soldier from a Western country by a crowd of Middle Easterners.
What’s wrong with these people, can’t they just buy pirated copies of Braveheart or something?!
Mr. Ibrahim said it was an American who was being shown in the video, and that he had been beheaded during the battle for the Baghdad airport in early April. Mr. Ibrahim, who showed a visitor several such tapes, said they accurately expressed the rabid dementia rage felt by many villagers on both sides of the border toward the Americans over their occupation of Iraq. "There is so much anger here," Mr. Ibrahim said. As the video of the beheading unfolded, Mr. Ibrahim ran a finger across his throat with evident satisfaction. "Ameriki," he said, "Ameriki."
The feeling is mutual, Mr. Ibrahim.
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