Fallout may spread from Syrian raid

The US raid into Syria may end up affecting more than just its own relations with the country.

Efforts to win approval for a new US-Iraqi security deal could be hit after the attack drew attention to a fact many Iraqis detest – that they cannot control everything American forces might do.

Iraq’s government offered its first official criticism of the raid today, two days after US helicopters swooped into Syrian territory close to the Iraqi border, killing eight people, part of a network that smuggles fighters and weapons into Iraq.

In a sign of how sensitive such attacks can be for Iraq’s government, Syria summoned the top Iraqi diplomat in Damascus and demanded that Iraq “shoulder its responsibilities” and prevent the use of Iraqi territory “for aggression against Syria.”

The raid could also encourage Syria and Iran to step up pressure on Iraqi politicians to reject the security deal. Parliament must approve the measure before the UN. mandate expires on December 31.

“It will be used against the agreement and will give the Iranians reason to increase their interference here against the agreement,” Kurdish politician Mahmoud Othman predicted.

“Now neighbouring countries have a good reason to be concerned about the continued US presence in Iraq,” he said.

The Iraqi government has so far issued no formal statement about the raid, but its chief spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh noted that the reported target was a centre of “anti-Iraq terrorist activity.”

But another politician – this one a prominent Shiite who has not taken a public stand on the deal – said the raid would hurt the security agreement’s chances of approval because it sends “a message that Iraq is not in control of its own affairs.”

The proposed deal would allow American troops to stay in Iraq through 2011 to help build up Iraq’s own forces and fight the remaining al-Qaida militants and Shiite extremists.

But critics inside Iraq believe the agreement would tie Iraq to American political and military policies in the region. That could harm Iraq’s efforts to build good relations with neighbours like Syria and Iran – who are not on good terms with Washington.

US officials insist the agreement respects Iraqi sovereignty.

But critics maintain that there is no way that Iraq will be anything but a junior partner. That is not an image Iraqis relish, even though many privately hope US troops will stay until Iraq’s own security forces can maintain order.

On the other hand, the security agreement could help curb US actions such as the Sunday raid. The draft agreement rules out the use of Iraqi territory as a base for Us aggression against other countries. Iraq insisted on such language to assure Iran that it would not assist any US attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Also, the agreement would require the US to co-ordinate military operations with a joint US-Iraqi commission, giving Iraq the chance to raise objections before US raids.

Regardless, opponents of the deal are likely to see the raid on Syria as reinforcing their view that Iraq would be powerless to prevent the United States from military action. For many Iraqis, the feeling they run their own country means more than the deal’s fine print.

Complicating the situation is the complexity of Iraq’s relations with Syria. When Saddam Hussein was in power, the two countries were ruled by rival wings of the Baath party.

Many former Saddam loyalists fled to Syria after the invasion of 2003, and US officials believe the country serves as a base for Sunni extremists to smuggle weapons and fighters to Iraq.

But relations between Iraq and Syria have improved somewhat, and earlier this month the Syrians sent an ambassador to Baghdad for the first time since the 1980s.