The road from Syria, on the trail of Iraq's insurgents

[NicNZ]

From here to eternity
Wednesday June 8, 2005

Article from The Guardian available at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1501563,00.html

Extract:

Aleppo, Syria. Ten brothers were sitting in the courtyard of their house in one of Aleppo's myriad lanes, with a plastic bag full of small pieces of paper, from which they drew lots. Five of them would stay in Syria and look after all 10 families. The others, the winning five, would enjoy the ultimate prize: a jihadi trip to Baghdad. It was March 2003, the Americans had just started bombing Baghdad and, like the 10 brothers, hundreds of young men were eagerly making their way in cramped buses towards the Iraqi border.

A very interesting, insightful, and easy read.

[Rumsfailed]

One fascinating question raised by the article: Is Syria aiding the Jihadis in getting to Iraq because that way they will cause trouble there and not in Syria. Truly Real Politik at work there.

[ElHombre]

One fascinating question raised by the article: Is Syria aiding the Jihadis in getting to Iraq because that way they will cause trouble there and not in Syria. Truly Real Politik at work there.

i imagine there is also consideration of american intentions as well. if iraq becomes stabilized and secure the neo-cons will try to go after another target. between syria and iran, syria would be the 'easier' target. (although it was supposed back in '02 that iraq was the 'easiest' target in the middle east. after the insurgency erupted a pentagon staffer was heard to say, 'it wasn't supposed to be like this. iraq was going to be the easy one.') as long as US troops are tied up in iraq, syria is relatively safer from 'regime change'.


"They think jihad will stop if they kill hundreds of us in Iraq. They don't know what they are facing. Every day, more and more young men from around the Muslim world are awaking and coming to the jihad. Now the Americans are facing thousands, but one day soon they will have to face whole nations."

that statement right there should let everyone know that the bush strategy in iraq has failed.

[seruriermarshal]

"They think jihad will stop if they kill hundreds of us in Iraq. They don't know what they are facing. Every day, more and more young men from around the Muslim world are awaking and coming to the jihad. Now the Americans are facing thousands, but one day soon they will have to face whole nations."

Ok then coalition troops have to kill all of whole nations .

[WarriorMonk]

Can someone say nuke time if it turns to whole nations?