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Miliband pulls out of Syrian meeting after US air strike
Pippa Crerar27.10.08
FOREIGN Secretary David Miliband pulled out of a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart at the last minute today.
It follows a strike by US airborne forces in Iraq on Syrian territory which killed eight people, including four children, according to Syrian officials.
The news event was cancelled apparently to avoid any embarrassment should Walid al-Muallem use it as a platform to criticise America.
The Foreign Office said the Syrians had agreed it would "not be appropriate" to hold a formal press conference. Mr al-Muallem will hold his own at the Syrian embassy in London.
However, a private meeting between Mr Miliband and the Syrian will go ahead, with the alleged attack almost certain to come up in discussions.
Syrian officials said that yesterday's attack was on a farm in the Abu Kamal border area in eastern Syria. Syrian news agency Sana said the people killed were civilians, including a man and his four children, and described the attack as "an appalling crime".
American soldiers are said to have landed in four helicopters and stormed a building under construction. The US, which accuses Syria of not doing enough to stop al Qaeda fighters and other insurgents crossing into Iraq, has neither confirmed nor denied the attack. It says it is investigating.
Reader views (2)
Yet another terrorist massacre committed by the US in its so-called "War on Terror", as usual met by the empire's European satellites with a storm of ... hypocritical silence.
- Richard Cheeseman, Wellington, Aotearoa/NZ
Oh and the israelis destroyed a warehouse and not a nuclear installation a few months ago...Syria is walking on egg shells at present.
- Chris, London
