Clashes Between Syrian and U.S. Troops

The NY Times reports that U.S and Syrian troops have apparently clashed along the Syrian border in ever more violent exchanges:

"A series of clashes in the last year between American and Syrian troops, including a prolonged firefight this summer that killed several Syrians, has raised the prospect that cross-border military operations may become a dangerous new front in the Iraq war, according to current and former military and government officials.

The firefight, between Army Rangers and Syrian troops along the border with Iraq, was the most serious of the conflicts with President Bashar al-Assad's forces, according to American and Syrian officials."

Additionally, the article talks about discussions going on in the White House over whether or not to pressure Syria to stop aiding (or prevent Saddam loyalists from aiding) insurgents in Iraq, and if so, how best to apply that pressure.

As the article mentions, the circumstances here closely parallel the "shadow war" that took place in Cambodia during the Vietnam War, as American troops attempted to cut off supplies coming to the Viet Cong from Cambodia, as well as prevent them from using Cambodia as a safe-haven to escape from and plan attacks against American and South Vietnamese troops.

Clearly we have to pressure Syria to stop aiding the insurgents. Unfortunately, our options for doing so are few and far between. We maintain little in the way of diplomatic relations with Syria, and as result have fewer options for pressuring them. Mostly we can only hope to dissuade their activities towards Iraq by threatening force, or in a limited sense, threatening to harm their relationships with economic allies. Unfortunately we don't have much ability to the do the latter, and the former is fraught with risk, as evidenced by these clashes along the Syrian border. We can ill afford to widen a conflict that we have no handle on now, nor can we afford to let Syria keep the impression that it can meddle in Iraq as it sees fit. As I see it we have little choice but to engage Syria to some extent, by force if necessary, but we walk a fine line with little room for error.