Senator John Kerry says U.S. eager to talk to Syria

[bemildred]

Source: Haaretz/News Agencies

U.S. Senator John Kerry is challenging Syria to demonstrate its seriousness about encouraging peace and stability in the Middle East.

The chairman of the U.S. Senate's Foreign Relations Committee will meet with Syria's president this week on a tour of the region that began Sunday in Egypt.

The U.S. has accused Syria of allowing foreign fighters to cross its border into Iraq, though Syria denies that. Kerry has in the past spoken of his concern about what he said was the flow of money, weapons and terrorists through Syria into Iraq and Lebanon.

In Egypt on Sunday, the senator said the U.S. is eager to talk to Syria, whose president said last month he also wants a dialogue with Washington, but without preconditions.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064306.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Syria was VERY helpful in initial months after Sept. 1th. nt

[bahrbearian]

2. Syria also was helpful in renditions.

[alexandria]

3. I thought Hillary was SOS why are all these men ,taking charge?NT

[JI7]

4. Kerry is chairman of foreign relations committee

[karynnj]

5. Kerry is there as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

That is the committee in the Senate that has the responsibility to do so - and he is very likely one of the people whose insights Obama would like to hear.

It is extremely normal for all members of that committee to travel to areas they have oversight over. Don't you remember that Biden, Kerry, Dodd, Hagel etc took many trips during the Bush year - and there were articles. Here there is nothing Kerry has said that Obama hasn't said.

[Chulanowa]

6. Because they have penises, of course!

What other reason could there possibly be?

[karynnj]

7. How stupid!

HRC does not have a monopoly on Foreign Policy. It is beyond stupid that you question the Chair of the SFRC speaking to the media. He has made it clear that he is not representing Obama. HRC does represent Obama.

[Chulanowa]

8. Thank you for reminding me that we actually NEED the sarcasm smiley!

Sometimes I forget the sheer number of dumb posts that make such a smiley mandatory. My bad.

Here: :sarcasm:

[karynnj]

11. and my apologies -

I usually do search - before responding that way, but there have been so many "they discriminated against her because she's a woman" posts all last year - when in fact there was no one getting more support from the party and the media than the wife of the man then called the only superstar in the Democratic Party.

[blm]

10. Hillary sided with Bush on Syria issues while Kerry has been talking to Syria for the last 8yrs.

Syrian president considers Kerry an honest broker - and, though American people are easily fooled, I doubt Syria's president missed the Clintons' support of Bush's policy in their region the last 8 years.

[Lochloosa]

9. Rep. Adam Smith (D) from Washington State led a delegation there last week.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/01/31/world/worldwatch/entry4766088.shtml?source=search_story#ccmm

Assad's outreach came during lengthy talks with a visiting U.S. congressional delegation headed by Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington State, a rare visit seen by many diplomats here as an attempt to break the ice between Damascus and Washington.

"The president underlined the importance of conducting a positive and constructive dialogue which is built on the basis of the mutual interests and reciprocal respect between Syria and the United States," Syrian officials said.

The American delegation, they said, "underlined Syria's important role in the region and expressed the new U.S. administration's desire to develop Syrian-American relations to serve stability in the Middle East."

Smith, who has served for 12 years in the House, is accompanied by six other representatives: Susan Davis (D-Calif.), Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), Glenn Nye (D-Va.), Ted Poe (R-Texas), and C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-Md).

[politicasista]

12. Kick

:kick: