The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) condemns the military attack by the US Army on the Syrian territory, killing 8 persons and causing other injuries among the civilian population of
Hwijeh village.
On 19th of October 2008, U.S. military helicopters launched an attack on the Syrian territory close to the border with Iraq, killing eight people in a strike the government in Damascus condemned as "serious aggression."
According to U.S. military official, the raid by special forces targeted the network of alQaida-linked foreign fighters moving through Syria into Iraq.
FIDH recalls that, according to UN General Assembly Resolution 57/219 of 18 December 2002, UN
Security Council Resolution 1456 of 2003 and UN Commission on Human Rights Resolution
2003/68 of 25 April 2003, States must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism complies
with their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law and humanitarian law;
FIDH calls for an independent investigation to be open on the attack perpetrated in the village of Hwijeh and the results to be made public as soon as possible;
FIDH urges the US-led coalition in Iraq to refrain from any indiscriminate attacks against civilian populations, a fortiori in neighboring countries, considering that such attacks amount to war crime.