Posted on 12/13/2006 6:17:07 PM PST by Brilliant
In a direct affront to the Bush administration, a Democratic senator spent an hour Wednesday with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus, emerging from the meeting to say Assad was willing to help control the Iraq-Syrian border.
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 the willingness to cooperate with the Americans and or the Iraqi army to be part of a solution" in Iraq, Nelson told reporters in a conference call following the meeting. The U.S. says foreign fighters often enter Iraq across that boundary.
Syrian officials have indicated a willingness before to engage the U.S. in discussions about Iraq, which the Bush administration has treated with skepticism. Nelson said he viewed Assad's remarks as "a crack in the door for discussions to continue. I approach this with realism not optimism."
Nelson said he reported the information to embassy officials and will brief his congressional committees on the trip. Also expected to visit Syria is Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa..
"We don't think that members of Congress ought to be going there," White House press secretary Tony Snow said, adding that the United States continues to denounce Syria's meddling in Lebanon and its ties to terrorist groups.
Snow noted the existing diplomatic ties between U.S. and Syria. "I think it's a real stretch to think the Syrians don't know where we stand or what we think," he said.
The diplomatic push from Congress comes on the heels of a recommendation by a bipartisan panel that the U.S. engage Iran and Syria on the war in Iraq. Bush has remained cool to the proposal by the Iraq Study Group, which was led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind.
Nelson said he ultimately received logistical support from the State Department in what he called a "fact-finding trip" across the Middle East, being transported by embassy officials from Jordan's capital city of Amman to Damascus. Prior to heading to Damascus, Nelson met with top Israeli and Palestinian officials; in coming days, he plans to visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iraq.
Nelson said he was not interested visiting Iran "at this time" and did not say why.
However, the senator did say that he raised the issue of a nuclear-armed Iran to Assad, saying "he ought to understand that that's not only a threat to him, Syria, but to the entire world. . . . He took note," Nelson said.
The senator said he also expressed to the Syrian leader the problems caused by Hezbollah and Hamas and urged Assad to support the release of captured Israeli soldiers. Nelson said the Syrian president responded by saying Israel had 20 Syrians in captivity, one of whom died recently from leukemia.
The senator shrugged off suggestions he was challenging Bush's authority by sidestepping administration policy that the U.S. have no contact with Syrian officials.
"I have a constitutional role as a member of Congress," Nelson said.
Meanwhile, Bush criticized Damascus anew and called on it to free all political prisoners.
In a statement, the president expressed support for the Syrian people, and said they "deserve a government whose legitimacy is grounded in the consent of the people, not brute force."
The U.S.-backed government in Lebanon led by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora is being challenged by the Hezbollah-led, pro-Syrian opposition. Bush said Syria should disclose the fate of the many missing Lebanese citizens who disappeared following their arrest in Lebanon during decades of Syrian military occupation.
"The Syrian regime should immediately free all political prisoners, including Aref Dalila, Michel Kilo, Anwar al-Bunni, Mahmoud Issa, and Kamal Labwani," Bush said. "I am deeply troubled by reports that some ailing political prisoners are denied health care while others are held in cells with violent criminals."
Bill "Neville Chamberlain" Nelson to the rescue!!!
If they have relations with terrorist groups and a democrat visits them, throw him in guantanamo. We said after 9/11 you are either with us or with terrorists.
There goes my idiot senator. I once wrote him a letter telling him that I would vote flying monkey before I would vote for him. He sent back a letter thanking me for my continuing support. I'm ashamed to be represented by this imbecile.
The Democrats are going to have to pay a price for thumbing their noses at the Administration and meddling in this matter.
The man needs to be bricked.
A traitor!
I had kind of the same experience. I wrote him a letter telling him that he should be supporting oil drilling off the Florida coast, and he wrote me back telling me that he too was opposed to oil drilling off the Fla. coast, and I could count on him to continue fighting against it.
I suspect he's angling for the VP slot. The Dems need Fla., and he's going to sell himself as the key to Fla.
ping
They are going to be doing this at every opportunity and the GOP needs to set a trap for them. Consider all the times they've sent Congressmen to meet with Chavez. Has anyone other than me noticed that the price of gas always goes up right after they do that?
"I have a constitutional role as a member of Congress," Nelson said.
Maybe I missed that part, Mr. Senator. I can't seem to find that part in the Constitution where it says that individual Senators are empowered to conduct foreign policy discussions.
What an ass.
We don't have to go very far to find un-American activities within our borders. We have enough in Congress to keep us busy for awhile. Nelson needs to be taken to the political woodshed, the insolent SOB. That goes for the State Dept. too.
Something doesn't add up here. Odd
Sen Nelson emerges from the meeting proclaiming Syrian support to monitor the Iraqi-Syrian border.
OMG, he is f'n stupider than I first thought.
Unless the so-called Republican so-called leaders suddenly grow a spine or learn how to communicate with the press and/or the voters, expect more of the same.
Nelson, being a Democrat, will face no consequences for his treasonous actions, whatsoever.
When is the last time any Democrat received any kind of punishment that was remotely appropriate for their crimes?
Probably not in my lifetime, and I am in my mid-30s.
Can't they just cuff and collar these asshats as soon as they get off the plane back on American soil?
Isn't it time we actually started acting as if we are at WAR ans locking up traitors
"a crack in the door for discussions to continue."
Discussions? Is that the goal? What's there to discuss? Either he'll do it or he won't.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.