Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Syria to move Iraq border troops to Lebanon boundary
Security, Region
A lawmaker in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's party on Monday criticised Syria's decision to move troops from the Iraqi border to reinforce its border with Lebanon, saying it would make it easier for terrorists to pass into Iraq. The U.S. and Iraqi governments have long accused Syria of not doing enough to stop insurgents crossing into Iraq to fight U.S. troops. Syria denies the allegation, saying it is impossible to fully control the long desert border it shares with Iraq.
In remarks released on Sunday, Syrian President Bashar Assad disclosed for the first time that Syria is moving troops from the border with Iraq to strengthen its forces on the border with Lebanon. Europeans nations have also pressured Syria to secure its Lebanese border to prevent weapons from moving into that region, Moustapha said. He criticised the U.S. for excluding Syria from participating in talks about stabilising Iraq. Syria shares a 605 km. long border with the Iraqi governorates of Al-Anbar and Ninawa, both of which are insurgent strongholds in areas, as well as with Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Turkey. The long border is practically impossible to patrol and easy for smugglers and insurgents to cross without detection.
