SYRIA: American school and cultural centre shut down in response to raid

Record ID: 278964

  • Title: SYRIA: American school and cultural centre shut down in response to raid
  • Date: 29th October 2008
  • Summary: (EU) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (OCTOBER 28, 2008) (REUTERS) CAR DRIVING PAST THE U.S. CULTURAL CENTRE VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AT DOORWAY SIGN READING: "AMERICAN EMBASSY ECONOMIC/COMMERCIAL AND AGRICULTURAL CENTER MAN OPENING DOOR TEACHER LEAVING AMERICAN SCHOOL STUDENT TRYING TO ENTER AMERICAN SCHOOL SIGN READING: "PROPERTY OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT" STUDENT INSIDE SCHOOL PHOTOG
  • Embargoed: 13th November 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA133J2KJM6HKR310VTEZV31VR6
  • Story Text: Amateur video shot in the aftermath of a raid by U.S. forces inside Syria on Sunday (October 26) has been released on the internet, showing crowds gathered around the bloodied bodies of the victims.
    The mobile phone footage shows the impact of the assault on the al-Sukkari farm in the Albou Kamal area in eastern Syria, close to the Iraqi border.
    A U.S. official said on Monday (October 27) the raid is believed to have killed Abu Ghadiya, a major smuggler of foreign fighters into Iraq.
    The official spoke on condition of anonymity about the raid, which residents and Syrian officials said U.S. troops landed by helicopter and killed eight civilians.
    A website, Syria News.com, released footage on Tuesday (October 28) that it says shows the U.S. helicopters that took part in the raid.
    It is not known if the video was taken before, during or after the raid.
    The Syrian cabinet decided on Tuesday to shut down an American school and an American cultural centre in Damascus, the official SANA news agency said, two days after the U.S. military raid in Syria.
    Syrian Minister of Culture Ryad Nassan Agha, told Reuters the U.S.
    cultural centre and school will stay closed until further notice.

    "We wanted to send a message through this closure of the U.S.
    cultural centre and the school too because we were waiting from the United States to offer us good culture, science, knowledge and technology. But to offer us the bodies of our citizens in the streets so they do not want the dialogue. And as they do not want the dialogue why would we keep those cultural centres that do not have any knowledge but the fact they spread international organised terrorism," the minister said.
    SANA said the cabinet also decided to postpone a Syrian-Iraqi bilateral committee meeting which was scheduled for Nov. 12- Nov. 13 in Baghdad.
    Moualem has characterised the attack as a "terrorist aggression" and said if repeated, Syria would defend itself. He has called for a U.S. and Iraqi investigation into the attack.
    Iraq, which said the raid targeted staging grounds used by militants, denounced the air strike. France and Russia have also condemned the attack.
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