The deadly US raid into Syria may complicate efforts to win approval for a new US-Iraqi security deal by drawing attention to a fact many Iraqis detest – that they can't control everything American forces might do. Syrian officials say US troops and helicopters launched the raid Sunday inside Syrian territory close to the Iraqi border, killing eight people. The US command in Baghdad would not comment, but a US military official said American special forces targeted the network that smuggles fighters and weapons into Iraq. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the raid was classified. 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.” That strikes at the heart of Iraqi criticism over the security agreement, that Iraqis cannot take control of their own country so long as big US military forces remain on their soil. The raid could also encourage Syria and Iran to step up pressure on Iraqi lawmakers to reject the deal. Parliament must approve the measure before the UN mandate expires Dec. 31, and Iraqi Shiite lawmakers have expressed doubts the current version would pass. “It will be used against the agreement and will give the Iranians reason to increase their interference here against the agreement,” Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman predicted. “Now neighboring 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 the chief spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh noted that the reported target was a center of “anti-Iraq terrorist activity.” But another lawmaker – 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.” He spoke on condition of anonymity because the issues are sensitive. 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-Qaeda 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 neighbors like Syria and Iran – who aren't 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's not an image Iraqis relish, even though many privately hope US troops will stay here 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 coordinate 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 US 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 US-led 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. “We're trying to contain the fallout from the incident,” a senior Iraqi Foreign Ministry official, Labid Abbawi told The Associated Press. “It is regrettable and we are sorry it happened.” – AP __
