Syria and the insurgents

Recent days have seen stepped-up criticism of Syria from the U.S.:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday broadened U.S. accusations that Syria was contributing to violent insurgencies in Iraq.

After a meeting with Iraq's planning minister, Barham Salih, Rice again accused Syria of supporting terror. To that, she added an allegation that Syria may also be providing financial support for insurgents as well as "allowing its territory to be used to organize terrorist attacks against innocent Iraqis."

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..."We are concerned in particular about Syrian behavior on its own border," she said Friday.

Now come allegations from an Iraqi source that units of the Syrian army have been captured in recent fighting with U.S. troops near the Syrian border. If true this marks a possible dramatic escalation in Syrian support for the Iraqi insurgency:

A top source from the Iraqi Ministry of Defense told the Al-Watan Saudi newspaper yesterday that members from the Syrian army have joined the insurgents in Al-Qaiem against the U.S. and Iraqi forces.

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Al-Qaiem is on the border with Syria which is used as a cross safe heaven point for the Saudi and other Arab insurgents from Syria.

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At least 35 among the Syrian army who were arrested during the fighting confessed about their ranks and their Syrian army units. They also confessed about their role in training the insurgents inside Iraq. Part of that training was professional including anti-aircraft missiles. The U.S. army earlier mentioned that the type of training and weapons was different and well organized this time. This now has been confirmed that such professional training needs a well organized states army behind it.

Such reports are particularly notable in the context of recent comments from U.S. troops at the conclusion of recent fighting:

Iraqi insurgents have proved to be better equipped and more elusive than expected, United States marines have said at the end of a week-long operation near the Syrian border.

Many rebels wore bullet-proof vests and a number had Soviet-designed armour piercing bullets and night sights, equipment rarely seen previously in Iraq.

Suffice to say this is a potentially very significant development.