Fla. senator defies Bush, visits Syria

[BR_Parkway]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061213/ap_on_go_co/us_syria



By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, asking him to do more to stabilize
Iraq.

Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record) of Florida, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, met with Assad after the State Department said that it disapproved of his trip. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support of Hezbollah and Hamas, which the U.S. deems terrorist organizations, and President Bush has expressed reluctance to seek help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrians curb that support and reduce their influence in Lebanon.

Assad "clearly indicated a willingness to cooperate" in controlling its border with Iraq, Nelson told reporters in a conference call following the meeting. The U.S. says foreign fighters often enter Iraq across that boundary.

Nelson said he reported the information to embassy officials and will brief his congressional committees on the trip. He said he expects Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., to also visit Syria.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Glad to see a senator doing something

hope this foreshadows a do-something Congress.

[rodeodance]

2. my my------ Senators going their job.

[blm]

3. It will be Kerry's 3rd visit with Pres of Syria since Jan 2005 - Bush wouldn't engage

and refuses to even discuss Al Assad's observations and ideas about helping in that region, because Bush never cared one whit about stabilizing the region. He and his docile press corps would never discuss Kerry's trips and meetings in Syria.

[saigon68]

6. But Bush did care about helping Bechtel make MASSIVE WAR PROFITS

In his little "Adventure in the Desert"

[Imagevision]

4. Bush cabal doesn't want anyone else snooping around, the truth may surface...

[partylessinOhio]

5. Syria was never our enemy until *.

Good for Senator Nelson and may his visit bring about a change of attitude.

[UndertheOcean]

7. Well , they are the enemies of their own people .. Tha Assad regime..

massacred 30,000 in the Hama in the 80's..

Not to mention all the 'dissapeared'

[pennylane100]

11. I know the syrian government is very oppressive

but I had hoped that Assad Jr. (hope thats his name)would be better than his father.

One thing I do not understand about Syria and our government is that we send prisoners there to be tortured but we will not talk to them about peace.

[Drum]

19. Kick and Rec

for this reply!

[BR_Parkway]

21. An excellent question, probably won't know the answer to that one

without a subpoena either

[Imagevision]

8. A group of Senators should schedulemeetings with Iran & Syria, Fu*k Bush

[Vidar]

9. Good for Nelson.

[flyarm]

10. blow me over with a feather!! nelson?????????? whoaaaaaaaaa n/t

[Double T]

12. Diplomacy and talks with neighboring nations might lead to a possible resolution...

of the war in Iraq. bushco WOULD NOT WANT ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO OCCUR.

[Imagevision]

13. All senators should realize the president is flat-out incompetant!!

am i right or am I right?!!

[Vinca]

14. Bush's "no talking to the enemy" policy is insane.

Good for Senator Nelson for going over the administration's head. Maybe the Democratic policy should start with ignoring Dear Leader.

[Tom Joad]

16. Senators should talk to Iran too. eom

[BreweryYardRat]

15. Nelson? Whoa.

He must have had a crisis of conscience, or figured that right after being re-elected, he doesn't have to worry about this showing up to haunt him for 2012.

[Printer70]

17. Open Discusion Can be Part of the Solution

I am realistic; I know that talking with Iran and Syria may not put an end to their funding and incitement in Iraq. They have every geo-political reason to continue doing so. But the point of talking isn't to overrule all these geo-political realities, but to find some common ground based on a system of incentives. If Iran and Syria had some financial or other incentives for a stable Iraq that could be measured quntitatively, or if we created an export market for their products in return for their coming out publicly against the militias, it may be worthwhile.

It's not the ideal alliance. Like Pakistan, we give them billions of aid, but the ISI there still funds the Taliban in neighbor Afghanistan. But one can reason that the alliance is still worthwhile.

[goforit]

18. A little chutzpah will straighten their asses out.

[bluedog]

20. thats my senator...must have got sick

of all my e-mails to him and decided to work to figure out a road to peace............

[Quantess]

22. Good news. Everyone should stop listening to the pretzeldent.