Is Bush attack on Syria the 'October Surprise' to help Mccain beat Obama?

October 27, 10:12 AMPolitical Issues ExaminerJudah Freed

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When four U.S. helicopters crossed the Iraqi border Sunday for a "commando" raid at a building under construction in Syria, the U.S. troops ended up killing eight Syrian civilians, including five members of one family, according to reports from news agencies in the Middle East, Europe and North America.

"Syria condemns this aggressive act and holds American forces responsible for this aggression and all of its repercussions," said a Syrian government official through the Syran state news agency, SANA. The Syrian government has summoned US and Iraqi envoys to Damascus to condemn the attack and demand an explanation.

"SANA said four U.S. helicopters had taken part in the raid on a civilian building under construction in the Bou Kamal border area, in eastern Syria," reported the Vancouver Sun. "Bou Kamal is the main crossing point into Iraq from Syria."

The newspaper Haaretz in Israel reported, "A Syrian diplomat called a U.S. helicopter strike on a Syrian village near the border with Iraq on Sunday an 'outrageous crime,' adding that Syria reserves the right to respond accordingly."

Syria's press representative in London, Jihad Makdissi, told the BBC that the Bush administration "has proved to be irrational, and they have no respect for international law or human rights. We expect a clarification, and of course Syria reserves the right to respond accordingly in the proper way,"

Previously, the U.S. has accused Syria of allowing Bou Kamal to be used as a staging area for insurgent attacks inside Iraq, said the BBC. Based on reports available this morning, however, the four helicopters did not enter Syria in "hot pursuit,"  which potentially could provide a legitimizing excuse for the attack.

The BBC overnight aired an interview with a civilian in Bou Kamal who said the four helicopters initially arrived at his farm, where one landed to disgorged U.S. commandos. No one was killed at that location, said the witness, but one of the helicopters then flew away toward the site of the civilian killings. 

As of this morning, no explanation or apology for the attack inside Syria has been offered by the White House or the Pentagon.

In lieu of a reasonable explanation from the U.S. government, and in lieu of a response from the Syrian government, I have a fundamental question:

Whether the U.S. attack inside Syria was legitimate or a mistake, what explains the curious timing only nine days before the November 4 election?

More to the point, is this attack on Syria the long-awaited "October Surprise" meant to help secure the election of John McCain over Barack Obama?

Please pardon my cynicism, born from eight years observing Bush administration antics, but even if the construction site did have military ties, I'm still wondering why the Bush administration could not have waited another week to attack it.

Was the attack on Syria a deliberate attempt to provoke the Syrians into military retaliation? Is Bush trying to start another war?

As of today, American voters are focused on the national economic crisis, which generally favors the Democrats. If the White House can provoke a military crisis with Syria, could this divert national attention to security issues, which generally favor the Republicans?

I'm reminded of the movie, Wag the Dog (video below), where the White House manufactured a war to win an election. I'm not making any accusations at this point, mind you. I'm simply voicing a concern.

My hope and prayer is that the dictatorship now ruling Syria will see the wisdom of patience now. No matter what the U.S. government may do in the next week to further provoke Damascus, I hope and pray the Syrians choose to wait until after November 4 for any assertive response to the U.S. attack.

Clip from the film, Wag the Dog. (Warning: Dialog contains the "F" word.)

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