Fewer Foreigners Crossing Into Iraq From Syria to Fight

[frogcycle]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/15/AR2007091501345.html

By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 16, 2007; Page A19

The number of foreign fighters entering Iraq from Syria has decreased noticeably in recent months, corresponding to a similar decrease in suicide bombings and other attacks by the group al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to U.S. military and intelligence officials.

"There is an early indication of a trend," said Gen. David H. Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, in an interview. Border crossings from Syria that averaged 80 to 90 a month have fallen to "half or two-thirds of that over the last two or three months," Petraeus said.

An intelligence official said that "the Syrians do appear to be mounting a crackdown on some of the most hardened terrorists transiting through the country, particularly al-Qaeda-affiliated foreign fighters." The official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said there is also evidence that the Syrians have been stopping return crossings by foreign fighters leaving Iraq.

Other administration officials, while confirming the decrease in border crossings, said they are not yet prepared to attribute it to Syrian action, instead citing increased U.S. operations against al-Qaeda inside Iraq and stepped-up cooperation by terrorist "source" countries, such as Saudi Arabia, in prohibiting travel to Damascus. U.S. intelligence has said Saudis form the biggest group of foreigners fighting with al-Qaeda in Iraq. Petraeus also said his command is uncertain of the reason for the decrease, adding that "we're watching it on the ground."

The article goes on to point out our so-called secretary of state's brief visit with the Syrian ambassador a while back, implying that she somehow "turned" them. I suspect if anyone did it was Nancy Pelosi.

But the main thrust of the article, if you read it correctly, is that whatever positive trends we are seeing have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SURGE. It is not the extra 30000 troops, mostly in Baghdad, who are causing a reduction in infiltration from Syria.

Whatever IS causing that reduction is what should be focused on, while getting the combat troops the hell out.

[xchrom]

1. so i wonder if syria will get any credit this time for not behaving like the enemy

bnushco claims they are?

[Igel]

2. So, since the drop in foreign fighters

is responsible for "whatever positive trends we are seeing", we can assume that they formed a large percentage of the "insurgents"?

Isn't this directly contrary to what we believed a few weeks ago, that foreign fighters were only a teeny-weeny fraction of the "freedom fighters"?

[frogcycle]

3. I referred to positive trends in foreign fighter activity