Rice talks to Syria, but from a distance

[bigtree]

21 Jul 2006

US Rice: Will Travel To Rome To Meet Core Grp On Lebanon

WASHINGTON (AP)--Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, heading for a weekend trip to the troubled Middle East, said she would work with allies in the region to help create conditions for "stability and lasting peace" during her visit, centered on a stop in Rome.

She ruled out a quick cease-fire as a "false promise" and defended her decision not to talk to officials from Hezbollah or Syria.

"Syria knows what it needs to do and Hezbollah is the source of the problem," Rice said at the State Department as she outlined U.S. hopes for a diplomatic solution to the current crisis.

http://framehosting.dowjonesnews.com/sample/samplestory.asp?StoryID=2006072117540004&Take=10


Should she (US) talk directly to Syria? I think so. This standoffishness allows the Bush regime to keep Syria isolated with the same innuendo (unsupported by evidence) they use against Iran and others.

It's clear that Israel has no problems with openly accusing Iran and Syria of complicity and involvement in Hizbollah's recent actions, but should this be the policy of the U.S. to isolate with innuendo and conjecture? I would think the time has long past when other countries could rely on the word of the United States for anything.

[joemurphy]

1. Condi's preferred means of diplomatic contact is rumor.

She's even rumored to be our Secretary of State.

[partylessinOhio]

4. HA! She even started the rumor that she has a (my) husband!

No Roman Holiday for gaptooth!

[napi21]

2. I can't get a good feel for Rice and what she really thinks. My guess

in THIS ssituation is that Shrub told her "We do NOT talk to the terrorist Countries!"

I think it's a mistake, but I doubt Rice has much choice.

[joemurphy]

5. Then she should resign...but she doesn't have the guts to do that.

Powell was frustrated during his tenure at State too. But at least he got out. Rice wanted this job and I assume it was because she could handle "her husband" the Prez.

Maybe Bush is so intransigently stupid and detached that Condi was mistaken.
Or it could be that Dead-Eye Dick Cheney is back in the saddle calling the shots.

One thing is sure, if this is our foreign policy, we're going to be in for a rocky ride before 2008.

[Monkeyman]

3. What did you want she works for cut and ran Replugs

[bigtree]

6. NYT: Wedging Syria

U.S. Plan Seeks to Wedge Syria From Iran

Published: July 23, 2006

WASHINGTON, July 22 — As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice heads to Israel on Sunday, Bush administration officials say they recognize Syria is central to any plans to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, and they are seeking ways to peel Syria away from its alliance of convenience with Iran.

In interviews, senior administration officials said they had no plans right now to resume direct talks with the Syrian government. President Bush recalled his ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey, after the assassination of Rafik Hariri, a former Lebanese prime minister, in February 2005. Since then, America’s contacts with Damascus have been few, and the administration has imposed an array of sanctions on Syria’s government and banks, and frozen the assets of Syrian officials implicated in Mr. Hariri’s killing.

Several of Mr. Bush’s top aides said the plan was for Mr. Bush and other senior officials to press both Saudi Arabia and Egypt to prod Syria into giving up its links with Hezbollah, and with Iran. The administration, aside from its differences with Iran over nuclear programs and with Syria over its role in Lebanon, has also objected to both nations’ behavior toward their common neighbor, Iraq.

Another said, “There is a presumption that the Syrians have more at stake here than the Iranians, and they are more exposed.”

story: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/washington/23diplo.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print