U.S. Raids Syria

The Syrian government closed the American School and an American cultural center in its capital city of Damascus on Oct. 28, two days after U.S. special forces raided a farm five miles within the nation’s borders, possibly killing eight people.



American counterterrorism officials said the helicopter attack targeted the home of Abu Ghadiyah, who they believe had ties to al-Qaida and was smuggling foreign fighters, weapons and money into Iraq. Ghadiyah died in the raid.

Syrian officals accused the U.S. of lying and said the raid violates international law.

Relations between the two countries have been up and down for decades. Syria has been on the U.S. list of nations that sponsor terrorism since 1979, but it also cooperated with the U.S. during the Gulf War of 1990-1991.

Syria, also known as the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in the Middle East. Slightly larger in size than the state of North Dakota, it gained independence from French administration on April 17, 1946, and adopted its current constitution on March 13, 1973.

Hafiz al-Assad served as president from 1970 until his death in 2000. After he died, the Parliament amended Syria’s constitution, lowering the mandatory minimum age of the president from 40 to 34. Bashar al-Assad, Hafiz al-Assad’s son, was then eligible and chosen as the new president. He has been serving as the chief of state since July 17, 2000.

Bashar al-Assad has released hundreds of political prisoners and began easing media restrictions. But the country still faces a number of challenges, including economic troubles and conflicts with neighboring countries.

The country is also dealing with a number of environmental issues, including deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water pollution and a lack of clean drinking water.