Gunmen Repelled at U.S. Embassy in Syria
Sep 12 12:28 PM US/Eastern
By SAM F. GHATTAS
Associated Press Writer
DAMASCUS, Syria
Armed Islamic militants attempted to storm the U.S. Embassy in a brazen attack Tuesday, the government said. Four people were killed, including three of the assailants. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but an al-Qaida offshoot group was suspected, Syria's ambassador to the United States said.
No Americans were hurt in the attack, in which the militants used automatic rifles, hand grenades and at least one van rigged with explosives.
The al-Qaida offshoot group, called Jund al-Sham, has been blamed for several attacks in Syria in recent years, the Syrian ambassador, Imad Moustapha, said in comments to CNN.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised Syrian security agents for repelling the attack, but added it was too early to know who may have been behind it.
"I think it's very early to try and speculate why this may have happened," said Rice, speaking at a news conference in Nova Scotia Tuesday with her Canadian counterpart, Peter MacKay.
The attackers apparently did not breach the high walls surrounding the embassy's white compound in the city's diplomatic neighborhood.
One of Syria's anti-terrorism forces was killed and 11 other people were wounded, the official news agency reported. The wounded including a police officer, two Iraqis and seven people employed at nearby technical workshop.
Full story here.
My only comment is this: Nothing of this sort happens in Damascus without Syrian secret police knowing in advance. And this is just way too convenient for Assad, who desperately needs to buy himself some breathing room right now. So (if my feeling is right) he se this in motion himself - and at the price of losing a couple of security guys he's bought himself enough goodwill to keep us off his back for several months at least.
Really a smart move, I have to say.