Hearing on Russia-Syria Alliance: Syria's History of Terrorism

By Andrew Cochran

In the wake of the Hezbollah-driven pro-Syrian march in Lebanon this week, it was important that the U.S. Helsinki Commission, which is co-chaired by Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep. Chris Smith, quickly put together an outstanding hearing yesterday on the Russia-Syria alliance and the obvious connections between Syria and numerous terrorist groups. The hearing testimony (witnesses listed below, including Steven Emerson) and unofficial transcript now available on the Commission's website. Some of the most gripping testimony was provided by Entifadh K. Qanbar, a former Iraqi officer and now a spokesperson for the United Iraqi Alliance, about Syria's role in the Iraqi insurgency and Syria's long history of terrorist activity...

Mr. Qanbar, from the transcript:

"Iraqi television had broadcast a number of other interviews with captured Iraqi terrorists who confirmed that they received training in Syria before being sent back to Iraq to kill Iraqis and Americans. Several of the captured terrorists stated that they had practiced beheadings on animals in Syria so that they would be able to use the technique on human beings in Iraq....

Mr. Chairman, these televised interviews confirm what we have known for a long time: that Syria is the logistical, financial and training base for the terrorists in Iraq....

And we suffered from Syrian terrorism even under Saddam. Syrians are very well known -- or Syrian intelligence, I should say, in their mastering car bomb. I have met some Iraq iintelligence officers, after the fall of the regime in Iraq and the liberation of Iraq, who told me we were looking up to their skill and to them they had the best skills in the whole world in making car bombs. I'd like to add one more thing: The Baath Party is much older in its terrorism than many current organizations that is considered as
terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic Jihad and others.

And, one more thing, the Baath Party, I can guarantee you, is the richest terrorist organization ever in history. They have billions of dollars they could use for terrorism. Every high-ranking Baathist we have arrested we found with him several million dollars of cash in his deposit at home. They have more money than any terrorist organization I have heard of or read about or known about."

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