# Armed raid into Syria **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 27, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755 "2008-10-27T13:48:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/61 "2008-10-30T11:08:35Z")
> [@Sinaijon](#): > > You don’t actually think he’ll answer that, do you? 😛 In fact, I did answer exactly that. See my post #39, first paragraph, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/62 "2008-10-30T13:42:21Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > International law clearly says every nation MUST STOP any groups from using their territory as a base for attacks. If Syria is allowing ANYONE to use it’s territory it is in violation of international law. > > Did Syria do this? Yes > > International law clearly says if a nation can’t control it’s own borders the effected nation has a right to go into that nation and put a stop to the attacks. > > This was one of the reason Austria-Hungary invaded Serbia starting WWI, as Serbia was allowing people to use its territory for raids into Austria-Hungary International law doesn’t say _anything_ clearly, dear. In any case, Iraq is not US territory, and Syrian cross-border raids do not have anything to do with the US. You don’t get to borrow someone else’s sovereignty just because you’re an occupying force. If the Iraqis want to invade Syria, that’s their business. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/63 "2008-10-30T13:47:39Z")
My concern is with the _timing_ of this raid. We pick a fight with Syria on the eve of the US election? Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/64 "2008-10-30T15:35:38Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > **Syria co-operates with the US wrt terrorist interogation covertly.** Could you cite that, please? I was under the disticnt impression that Syria is a Hizbollah-harboring puppet state of Iran. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/65 "2008-10-30T15:50:37Z")
If Syria were in al-cahoots with Iran, that would AlQ their enemy, seeing as how Iran is predominately Shia and AlQ is centered around a fanatical anti-Shia Sunni sect. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/66 "2008-10-30T16:01:17Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Could you cite that, please? I was under the disticnt impression that Syria is a Hizbollah-harboring puppet state of Iran. Hardly a puppet state. Syria and Iran are partners out of necessity, more than anything else, and this is a pretty recent development. They have very different interests, particularly since Syria is a mostly secular state. Indeed, Syria has often had its own issues with Islamist terrorists; the Muslim Brotherhood seized control of Hama in the early 80s, and were summarily put down. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/67 "2008-10-30T16:01:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > If Syria were in al-cahoots with Iran, that would AlQ their enemy, seeing as how Iran is predominately Shia and AlQ is centered around a fanatical anti-Shia Sunni sect. Wait a minute, who said anything about Al Qaeda? Syria…Hizbollah…Iran…all Shiites. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/68 "2008-10-30T16:03:23Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Could you cite that, please? I was under the disticnt impression that Syria is a Hizbollah-harboring puppet state of Iran. > **[Al-Qaeda suspect sues over torture](https://www.smh.com.au/world/al-qaeda-suspect-sues-over-torture-20040124-gdi7we.html)** ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/69 "2008-10-30T16:06:17Z")
Just saying that Syria would have no difficulty covertly siding with the US against AlQ. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/70 "2008-10-30T16:06:55Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Could you cite that, please? I was under the disticnt impression that Syria is a Hizbollah-harboring puppet state of Iran. [This really, really, famous case discussed at length here and in media all over the world.](http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/25/news/terror.php) > [@](#): > > Man deported to Syria had no link to terror, Canada told U.S. Getting dictatorial regimes to torture ‘suspects’ is what Extraordinary Rendition is all about. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/71 "2008-10-30T16:12:41Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Wait a minute, who said anything about Al Qaeda? Syria…Hizbollah…Iran…all Shiites. Isn’t Syria’s government Baathist, in common with the former government of Iraq? That would make them officially non-sectarian (the government itself), but practically Sunni. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/72 "2008-10-30T16:21:38Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Isn’t Syria’s government Baathist, in common with the former government of Iraq? That would make them officially non-sectarian (the government itself), but practically Sunni. Not exactly. The stated Ba’ath position is one of (pan-Arab) inclusion, rather than Sunni dominance; the Iraqi and Syrian Ba’ath movements split over this in the sixties. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/73 "2008-10-30T16:25:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Not exactly. The stated Ba’ath position is one of (pan-Arab) inclusion, rather than Sunni dominance; the Iraqi and Syrian Ba’ath movements split over this in the sixties. Thank you! I had no idea of the split. I assume from Saddam Hussein’s oppression of Shi’ites in Iraq, that it was the Iraq Ba’ath party that gave up the ideal of pan-Arab unity. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/74 "2008-10-30T16:27:04Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Thank you! I had no idea of the split. I assume from Saddam Hussein’s oppression of Shi’ites in Iraq, that it was the Iraq Ba’ath party that gave up the ideal of pan-Arab unity. Not the ideal, just the actual practice. I’m pretty sure they still _claimed_ to be pro Arab unity. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/75 "2008-10-30T16:32:34Z")
Another complicating factor is that while most Syrians are Sunni, the Assad family is of the Shi’ite [Alawite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alawite) sect. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/76 "2008-10-30T16:33:58Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > [Al-Qaeda suspect sues over torture](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/23/1074732604306.html) I’ve read that before. For some reason that didn’t really pop into my head. I was thinking of a spirit of true cooperation, a joint effort, not a prisoner-dumping ground arrangement. ---
**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/77 "2008-10-30T18:17:58Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > So, if Mexican intel indicated there was a terrorist staging area in a farmhouse outside of El Paso, you’d be okay with them sending some gunships over to blow it up? Those aren’t terrorists, they’re Minutemen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/78 "2008-10-30T18:26:00Z")
> [@Rapier42](#): > > Those aren’t terrorists, they’re Minutemen. > > 😉 I’m a freedom fighter, you’re a vigilante, he’s a terrorist… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/79 "2008-10-30T18:28:31Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > So, if Mexican intel indicated there was a terrorist staging area in a farmhouse outside of El Paso, you’d be okay with them sending some gunships over to blow it up? [Turnabout is fair play.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Expedition) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755/80 "2008-10-30T18:29:11Z")
> [@flyboy](#): > > Let’s see… if we kept sending terrorists over the border from that farmhouse, and they repeatedly asked us to stop or do something about it, and we repeatedly ignored them, then f\*ck yes. We’d deserve it. > > However, I live in the real world, where the US simply does not stage terrorists seeking entrance into Mexico to blow up occupying soldiers bent on making Mexico a peaceful democracy. So it sounds to me like a bad analogy. So after the Bay of Pigs Cuba took out a condo development in Florida, and possibly killed three innocent American kids. Would that be kosher? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armed-raid-into-syria/469755.md?page=5)