VZCZCXRO5653
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0745 3011405
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271405Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5484
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 0945
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0460
RUEHDI/AMCONSUL DUBAI IMMEDIATE 0218
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNNAF/NORTH AF NEA AND SOUTH ASIAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 000745 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SES-O, NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/R/MR, IIP/G/NEA-SA, 
LONDON FOR SREEBNY, DUBAI FOR PELLETIER, BEIRUT FOR SISON AND GRANT 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
E.O.12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KPAO PHUM PREL SA SY
SUBJECT: SARG CONDEMNATION OF ALLEGED U.S. MILITARY STRIKE IN ABU 
KAMAL 
 
REF: DAMASCUS 741 
 
¶1.  [SBU] As reported reftel, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Faisal Miqdad passed Charge a copy of the Ministry's press release 
regarding the alleged U.S. military operation in eastern Syria that 
purportedly killed eight Syrian civilians.  An Embassy translation 
follows. 
 
¶2.  [SBU] Begin text: 
 
Syrian Arab Republic 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Office of the Vice Minister 
 
To the Syrian News Agency (SANA), for distribution 
 
An official source announced the following: 
 
Four U.S. helicopters coming from Iraq today violated Syrian 
airspace in the area of Abu Kamal at the Sakkariya farm.  The 
helicopters targeted a civilian building which lead to the deaths of 
citizen Daoud Mohammed Al Abdullah and his four children, citizen 
Ahmad Khalifa and citizen Ali Abbas Hassan and his wife and the 
injury of another citizen.  The American helicopters then returned 
to Iraq. 
 
Syria condemns this aggressive act and holds the U.S. forces 
responsible for this aggression and for all that proceeds from it. 
Syria also demands that the Iraqi government take responsibility and 
launch an investigation immediately into this grave violation. 
Syria also demands that the Iraqi government prevent/forbid the use 
of Iraqi territory for aggression against Syria. 
 
The Vice Foreign Minister called in the U.S. Charge d'Affaires in 
Damascus and informed her of Syria's protest and condemnation of 
this grave attack and that it holds the U.S. Administration 
completely responsible for it.  The Iraqi Charge d'Affaires was also 
called in to the Foreign Ministry for the same purpose. 
 
End Text. 
 
CONNELLY