Kerry, headed to Damascus, calls Bush refusal of dialogue with Iran, Syria ''a mistake''

[bemildred]

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Sen. John Kerry, on a Mideast tour taking him to Damascus for talks with President Bashar Assad, said Friday that the Bush administration's rejection of dialogue with Syria and Iran to try to calm Iraq is a mistake.

Kerry's trip is the latest in a growing tussle between the White House and Congress over the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that called for talks with Iran and Syria to win their help in stabilizing war-torn Iraq.

The Massachusetts Democrat said his visit to Syria was ''a fact-finding mission'' to explore ''what might or might not affect behavior with respect to Hezbollah, Lebanon, Israel and Iraq, where in each of those cases Syria is playing a role.''

''Dialogue is an important thing. It's very hard to move the ball if you don't know firsthand what people's needs are, what their own perceptions are,'' Kerry said in an interview with The Associated Press and several other journalists in Cairo.

NewsPress

[rodeodance]

1. ho ho , dissing the Pres abroad. naughty naughty (good for you John)

[maddezmom]

2. He's right

not harm as ever come from talking.

[blm]

5. The harm is from not listening. Kerry met with al-Assad in Jan 2005 and wanted

to sit down with WH and discuss what the Pres of Syria told him in a candid discussion of Assad's ideas to stabilize the region and how he can help, but Bush REFUSED to meet with Kerry - he didn't CARE what the President of Syria was thinking.

This is now the 3rd meeting between al-Assad and Kerry....this time the ISG agrees with Kerry....so maybe the press will report more fully what occurs, unlike the two earlier meetings they ignored.

[rodeodance]

3. and Sen Nelson FL went a few days ago.

[Renew Deal]

4. I don't understand the idea that you can't talk to someone.

You should be able to talk to anyone. It's the grown up thing to do. Then again, I'm not so sure about talking to Iran while Ahmedanajad is in power. He's a whole other level of evil.

[Bandit]

11. What exactly has he done that was so very evil?

I am not referring to his rhetoric about Israel but what actually has he done physically that you think is extremely evil? Or are you just talking out your ass?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. I wouldn't call it evil

but he has destroyed Sufi centers in the country and arrested thousands of peacefully protesting Sufis and tortured some. Happened in Qom. I don't know if he's done similar things with other minorities. But I still think we need to sit down and talk with him--how else will things change?

[Doctor_J]

6. I am a little worried about all of these statesmen ignoring *

Nelson, Kerry, Hagel, and a couple others are openly and brazenly defying the Drooling Dunce. It's the right thing to do of course, because the man who should be doing can do nothing except utter platitudes that he's memorized for that day. But it might be, umm, fomenting something really bad here at home.

[bemildred]

7. That was my first thought too.

There appears to be dissension in the ranks of the ruling elites.

[ctaylor721a]

23. What do you think it is?

I've noticed disagreements even on the Council for Foreign Relations page. So that suggests that the thought leaders are not on the same page. Even Kissinger said recently that we should talk with Iraq's neighbors.

[bemildred]

24. Don't really know.

There are the "stay the course" or "one last surge" people; and then there is everybody else, arguing about how to extract ourselves from the debacle. The one thing that seems clear is that the disagreement has broken out in public, and that public disobedience of Bushite wishes is now OK. And all of that, of course, is an indirect indication of just how fucked up it really is.

[karynnj]

27. All the Senators you mention are on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

This is their JOB. The committee is suppose to be a source of advice to the President on these types of issues. Senator Kerry has stated that he is NOT necogiating - but he is listening and getting current information. Congress has a role here.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Israel and her American parrots don't want us to talk to Syria either!

Didn't Kerry get the memo from AIPAC, as Lieberman and Hillary obviously have?

Why have so many Democrats been reluctant to endorse the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommendations? To this leftist, the ISG's recommendations are too little and too late. We only have two choices left in Iraq: immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all US troops, contractors and mercenaries OR shoot our way out of the country in a few months' time.

[wisteria]

9. Senator Kerry is correct on the need to engage both of these countries.

Pres. Bush and Ms. Rice have been wrong, wrong, wrong, on their handling of the war, why would their continued refusal to talk with other countries be viewed in any other way than more of the same old staying the course strategy? This just reinforces the belief that this administration is still in denial. Or, are they playing politics and waiting it out until Rove comes up with a bright idea to spin this Iraq war into a win for Bush?

[Joe Chi Minh]

16. Yes, I can see that now. And ther are so many extraordinarily propitious,

even serendipitous factors that are in play, which were not in the withdrawal from any shape or form in Vietnam.

Syria and Iran represent respectively Sunni and Shiite populations, while pragamatism in these extraordinarily chaotic circumstances have to a significant degree brought them togther; both being willing to assist in the restabilisation of Iraq. How propitious is that!

[acmavm]

10. Liebermann, McCain, and now Kerry doing their own foreign

'thing'. What's the deal?

[MH1]

12. Not "now Kerry". He has done this trip the last two years at least,

And other similar outreach throughout his career.

It's not unusual for a Senator to go on fact-finding missions like this. What is perhaps a little unusual is that Kerry is received by foreign leaders with respect and even eagerness, as if they truly wish he had won the 2004 election, and they want to accord him that level of respect.

[blm]

15. This is Kerry's 3rd time meeting these leaders since Jan 2005.

I think presscorps is only now giving it some notice because of Dem takeover in congress.

[IndianaGreen]

19. Not the same thing! McCain and Lieberman oppose talking to Iran and Syria

and they want to send more troops and escalate the war, while Kerry is following the ISG recommendations and has been a long time proponent of troop withdrawal.

[karynnj]

28. None of them are doing anything they shouldn't

all are on committees where this is expected. For exqample, what do you think the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is supposed to do. (Kerry is very aware of the roles of the branches of government - and explained to both the American press (and last year the Indian press) that he will not and can not negotiate with foreign governments, but it is entirely normal to speak to them.

[ginnyinWI]

14. Well done, Sen. Kerry!

He continues to speak the truth. I like it.

[David Zephyr]

17. Kerry leads, Bush procrastinates while our troops die.

Good for John Kerry.

[goforit]

18. I wish politicians would say refusal of dialogue is IMMATURITY!!!!!!

[Tellurian]

20. It is obvious why Bush does not want talks with Syrian and Iran..

Because he doesn't want the war to end.

Bush has no intention of changing anything because he does not benefit monetarily from Peace.

It's just that simple.

[sandnsea]

21. Kerry - not Hillary, Edwards, or Obama

He's the one whose been leading in diplomacy, it'd be nice if the Democratic voters would remember that when it counts; and remember why the media constantly ridicules him.

[wisteria]

22. Your right, a little respect and recognition for Senator Kerry's efforts and

concerns over the Middle East should be given by the media. I wonder though, if they will be able to fit it in in between the latest poll numbers and this weeks Presidential fluff story.

[bluedog]

25. Republican Sen. Specter plans Syria trip

Some GOP'ers are also going against the WH wiashes about not talking to Syria............

Republican Sen. Specter plans Syria trip BY ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
Fri Dec 15, 9:30 PM ET



WASHINGTON - Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), a 26-year Senate Republican, said he will visit Syria despite loud objections by the Bush administration, contending the situation in Iraq is so dire that it is time Congress step up to the plate and see what it can do.



Specter, R-Pa., said in an interview late Friday that he is planning a trip to the Middle East that will include Israel and Syria. The senator said he and other Republicans are concerned that the administration's policies in the Middle East are not working and that other GOP members may follow in his footsteps.

"I've talked to my Republican colleagues, and there is a disquiet here," Specter said.

The visit, coming on the heels of a trip by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (news, bio, voting record), would be a direct affront to the White House. The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support for Hezbollah and Hamas, which the U.S. deems terrorist organizations. President Bush has expressed reluctance to seek help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrians curb that support and reduce their influence in Lebanon.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061216/ap_on_go_co/specter_iraq

[lovuian]

26. There won't be dialogue with Syria and it looks like

Bush is on a terrible course

[gulliver]

29. This helps Bush.

If anyone can help Bush sell not talking to Iran and Syria, it is Kerry. Kerry should not be trying to conduct foreign policy. His point is right, but that is irrelevant. As has been said, the worst argument against a cause is a poor argument for it. Kerry actually sets back the cause of getting out of Iraq and returning to adult foreign policy. He is the wrong man for the message. He disables the message.

Kerry should not be meddling in foreign policy directly. If he wants to get to the bottom of Bush negligence, incompetence, and cover-up, Kerry should work it through Senate hearings. All Bush has to say is "Kerry's trip to Iran and Syria has further destabilized Iraq by showing weakness." It doesn't matter whether it is true or not.

[karynnj]

30. EVERY Senator on the SFRC visits hot spot countries - that is their JOB

and these are in an area where Kerry has many many years of experience. He is accompanied by the US Ambassador in each country - a representative of the Bush state department.

Your hatred of Senator Kerry blinds you to the fact that this is part of his job and he does it very well. It was Kerry who has pushed FORWARD the country's support of getting out of Iraq.