Syrians stage mass anti-US rally

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DAMASCUS, (Syria), Oct 30 (AP): Thousands of Syrians stage an anti-US protest in Damascus. Syria says the alleged attack was US "terrorist aggression"
Thousands of people are gathering in Damascus for a mass demonstration against an alleged US raid on a Syrian village which killed eight people.
Riot police, armed with batons and shields, have surrounded the US embassy in Damascus, which has closed due to "increased security concerns".
Hundreds of Syrian riot police ringed the closed US Embassy here Thursday as tens of thousands of people gathered about a mile away for a government-orchestrated protest to denounce a deadly US raid near the Iraqi border.
The troops, wearing helmets and armed with batons and shields, took up positions around the embassy and the adjacent US residence building. The embassy was closed because of security concerns related to the protest, and the American school in Damascus was also shut for the day.
Thursday's protest came as Syria demanded a formal apology from the US for Sunday's attack in the eastern border community of Abu Kamal that Damascus says killed eight civilians. It threatened to cut off cooperation on Iraqi border security if there are more American raids on Syria territory.
As the protesters filled the Youssef al-Azmi square and surrounding streets in the upscale al-Maliki neighborhood, some Syrians formed circles and danced traditional dances while women and students joined the peaceful crowds.
The protesters waved national flags, carried pictures of President Bashar Assad and held banners, one of which called America "the sponsor of destruction and wars."
There has been no formal acknowledgment of the raid from Washington. But US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said the target of the raid was Badran Turki al-Mazidih, a top al-Qaida in Iraq figure who operated a network of smuggling fighters into the war-torn country. The Iraqi national also goes by the name Abu Ghadiyah.
In announcing its closure Thursday, the US Embassy also warned Americans to be vigilant - raising concerns about the safety of US citizens in Syria.
In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood said Wednesday that Syria had formally notified the US of the closure order for the cultural center, effective immediately, and the school by Nov. 6.
Wood said Washington was considering how to respond and that the US expects the Syrian government to "provide adequate security for the buildings" housing the cultural center and the Damascus Community School.