BBC reports: “Syria has protested angrily to both the U.S. and Iraq after what it said was a U.S. helicopter raid inside its territory that killed eight civilians. Syria summoned U.S. and Iraqi envoys to condemn the ‘aggressive act.’ Iraq said the area targeted was used by militants to launch cross-border attacks in Iraq.”

JOSHUA LANDIS
Landis is co-director of the Center for Middle East Studies and assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma. He writes the blog “Syria Comment,” which contains up-to-date information including videos. He said today: “A big question is why now. Syria has been improving border compliance steadily. General Petraeus announced this month that Syria has brought down infiltration from 100 to 20 a month.”

RICHARD FALK
Falk is professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University and currently visiting professor at Chapman Law School. He is the author of more than 20 books including The Costs of War: International Law, the UN, and World Order after Iraq.

He said today: “The U.S. helicopter cross-border raid against a Syrian target is the latest display of Washington’s disregard for the restraints of international law on the use of force, as well as exhibiting a refusal to respect the territorial sovereignty of Third World countries. It is also a typically reckless expansion of the regional war zone, and taken together with similar recent American air and missile cross-border attacks on Pakistani targets represents a provocative and dangerous escalation of the so-called ‘war on terror’ somewhat suspiciously taking place on the eve of the American presidential elections.”
More Information

For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167