The Syrian authorities have ordered that an American school and a U.S. cultural center in Damascus be closed in response to a deadly raid by American helicopters near the Syrian border with Iraq. The official SANA news agency said the decision came at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday chaired by Prime Minister Naji Otari. According to the report, the Syrian education minister was instructed to implement the decision.
Syria claims U.S. troops in four helicopters attacked a building near the border with Iraq and killed eight civilians on Sunday afternoon. U.S. military sources said the raid killed a top operative of al-Qaoda in Iraq who intelligence suggested was about to conduct an attack in Iraq.
