Posted on 12/15/2006 3:28:58 PM PST by Biscuit85
CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry said on Friday he was willing to go to Tehran to talk to Iranian leaders but would not have time during his current Middle East tour.
"I don't have time and we were not able to make arrangements in the short timespan we had but I would be willing to go," he told reporters in Cairo, the first stop on his tour. Asked if he planned to make a trip later, he said: "At the appropriate time, at some point."
Kerry, the Democratic candidate in the U.S. presidential election in 2004, is pressing the U.S. administration to reverse its policy of setting preconditions for dialogue with Syria and Iran.
He will visit Syria during his trip with fellow Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd. Both are members of the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Kerry said the purpose of the mission to Damascus would be to listen to the Syrians and find out more about the Syrian government's positions on Lebanon, the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah and the violence in Iraq.
"I'm going to push them (the Syrians) on a number of different issues. I'm curious about what they might or might not be willing to do as we go forward here," he said.
"Do they have any suggestions how the various equations in the region might be changed?" he added.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Friday that the United States and Europe must talk to Syria and Iran if they want a comprehensive solution to Iraq and other Middle East conflicts.
Assad told Rome's la Repubblica newspaper Damascus was ready to cooperate with Washington to resolve regional issues and challenged Israel to open up to Syria.
A report released last week in Washington by a special panel recommended the United States engage Syria and Iran to bring about stability in Iraq.
The U.S. administration of President George W. Bush has argued that high-level talks with Syria are pointless because the Syrians do not respond to U.S. policy requests. But Kerry said: "That's a mistake... It is nonsensical to set up not talking as some kind of reward/punishment barrier. I think we are shortchanging ourselves in that process."
The senator also found fault with Bush's campaign to make Middle East countries more democratic, which for a time was at the forefront of U.S. diplomatic rhetoric in the region.
"I don't think it's been particularly effective, in fact it has been counterproductive in certain quarters. It's created turmoil and uncertainty," he said.
"We will always be a nation that advocates democracy...but we need to be smart about the steps we take and the pace at which we demand people make transitions," he added.
... and stay there I hope
Oh Lurch! Please go to Iran and stay there. Really. Please.
Maybe he's waiting for the anniversary of his trip to Cambodia. That will be coming right up here shortly.
The John Kerry "peace in our time" listening tour has begun.
1. Why did it take him so long? He is quite comfortable with meeting with the enemy.
2. Why no more public outrage from the White House concerning these liberals who are pulling what amounts to a slow motion coup de' etat? First Nelson, now sKerry?? These liberals are being blatant in their power grabs and the White House response has been wimpy to say the least.
Once a traitor always a traitor.
I'm all for Kerry going to Iran. I'm not for his return.
John Kerry is visiting his voter base, his "friends abroad", as he starts his POTUS campaign.
so many anti-american museums, so little time to get my portrait (only the masses use pictures) in all of them.
peanut butter and jelly diplomacy at its finest.
Why is the senator from Mass. going to the Middle East?? Is Boston and Tehran having a baby? Tehran buying a lot of Lobster these days? Don't nobody from Mass. care that he's spending THEIR money
So the traitor wants to visit one of the people supplying arms and funds to kill America servicepeople in the ME.
In other news, rain still comes from clouds...
John, just butt out. You've screwed up things enough already. Didn't Teddy tell you that yet?
He won't have TIME? What else has he got to do? It's not like he works for a living.
How about walking the streets of Bagdad, Kabul, and Gaza City....
Stick a fork in him.
He's dead Jim.
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