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DAMASCUS, July 22: Syria said on Thursday its border troops had been fired on by US and Iraqi forces and accused Washington, London and Baghdad of lack of cooperation in preventing infiltration into Iraq. It was the first time Syria, which has a 600 km (375 mile) desert border with Iraq, had reported cases of US troops firing on its forces.
The Foreign Ministry told heads of diplomatic missions in Damascus in a letter that Syrian border troops had been subject to attacks “not only by infiltrators and smugglers but by the Iraqi and American forces”.
“The border clashes amounted to about 100 armed clashes, some of which were carried out by American soldiers who opened fire arbitrarily at those present behind the dirt rampart due to loss of self control,” said the ministry.
US ACCUSATIONS: US officials accuse Syria of not doing enough to stop insurgents from crossing into Iraq to fight US and Iraqi forces.
“Syria ... needs to take steps to go after those ... elements that may be operating on their territory and they need to play a helpful role with their neighbours,” said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
“Syria has been out of step with the rest of the Middle East. The Middle East has been leaning more and more in the direction of freedom and democracy,” said McClellan.—Reuters
