Kerry prepares for tour of Mideast

[BR_Parkway]

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/articles/newsarticle.html?id=100

Kerry prepares for tour of Mideast

Boston Globe
By Rick Klein

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry today is leaving for a nine-day trip through Iraq and five other Middle Eastern nations, as he seeks to hone a regional approach to ending the Iraq war while entering the final stage of his deliberations about another run for president.

Kerry said he hopes to use the regional trip, his first there in nearly year, to meet with political leaders and US troops in Iraq about solutions to the Iraq conflict. His meetings will include a session with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, a country the Iraq Study Group recommended should be included in direct talks about the future of Iraq.

"The Mideast policy as a whole is in tatters, and the situation is getting more dangerous, and there is a lot that's at play," said Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat. "This is the most compelling and important issue on the table today: the war on terror, how it would more properly be fought."

In addition to Iraq and Syria, Kerry will visit Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, and he will meet with the head of state in all of those countries. He said he plans to venture outside the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad to talk to US troops stationed in the more volatile parts of the country, including the Sunni Triangle.

(Dear George, this is what leaders do - they lead. Sometimes it's dangerous, it's pretty much always hard work. But it's what the country wants, it's what they need - leadership. Just one more thing in your life that you've completely failed at. Just resign George, it'll make it so much easier. Imagine, every single day for the next 2 years, subpoenas and sworn testimony - if you think your legacy is in the shitter now, just wait. You'll be driven from office with a 9% approval rating - and officially the Worst. President. Ever)

[zulchzulu]

1. I can't wait to hear what his findings are...

Watch your back, John. Iraq is in chaos.

[MH1]

6. "Watch your back, John"

Please. I think it is much worse this year than the trips he made before.

I don't pray much but I am praying for his safety on this trip, as well as his companions'.

[wisteria]

2. Thanks for posting. I am waiting for further word on the outcome of his many

meetings with world leaders.

[blm]

3. This is Kerry's THIRD meeting with Pres of Syria - Bush refuses to talk to either

Al-Assad or Kerry about their candid discussions with each other, the first in Jan 2005 when Assad discussed with Kerry his ideas to best secure the region.

Bush is a fool and a traitor for not wanting to know.

[TayTay]

4. Sen. Dodd is also on this trip

I think I read somewhere that Sens Lieberman and McCain are also in Iraq this week. Maybe those two will finally see that Iraq is in Civil War and that sending in more troops is not a recipe for victory but a band-aide measure that won't do anything.

I hope that Sens. Dodd and Kerry are able to get out and see what is actually going on. These two are the 2nd and 3rd ranking Dems on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and I hope that this trip helps to generate some good hearings in Jan. Nothing informs like actually going out and seeing what the conditions really are and talking to the people who are in harms way every day, our troops.

[cadmium]

5. Trip to Iraq appeared to have a strong effect on

John Warner (R)VA When Warner returned from the Iraq trip he came back decidedly opposed to the administration "stay the course" strategy.