Posted on 03/30/2007 2:15:30 PM PDT by indianrightwinger
Pelosi Going to Syria Despite Objections Mar 30 04:10 PM US/Eastern By ANNE FLAHERTY Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Syria, a country President Bush has shunned as a sponsor of terrorism, despite being asked by the administration not to go.
"In our view, it is not the right time to have these sort of high- profile visitors to Syria," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Friday.
Pelosi arrived in Israel on Friday in what is her second fact-finding trip to the Middle East since taking over leadership in the House in January.
Her repeat trip, an indication she plans to play a role in foreign policy, is also a direct affront to the administration, which says such diplomatic overtures by lawmakers can do more harm than good.
Pelosi will not be the first member of Congress in recent months to travel to Syria, but as House speaker she is the most senior.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the speaker "should take a step back and think about the message that it sends."
"This is a county that is a state sponsor of terror, one that is trying to disrupt the Senora government in Lebanon and one that is allowing foreign fighters to flow into Iraq from its borders," Perino said.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "probably really wants people to come, and have a photo opportunity, and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they're coming from. But we just think it's a really bad idea," Perino said.
Pelosi's office did not immediately return a call seeking comment on why she was not heeding administration warnings.
U.S. officials held their first direct, high-level contact with Syrian representatives in years when they met in Baghdad this month with officials from several Middle East countries to discuss Iraq.
McCormack said the State Department tried to discourage Pelosi and the others from visiting Syria but agreed to give their staff a pre-trip briefing. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus also is expected to assist the delegation.
Others traveling with Pelosi were Democratic Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Henry Waxman and Tom Lantos of California, Louise Slaughter of New York and Nick Rahall of West Virginia, and Ohio Republican David Hobson. Ellison is the first Muslim member of Congress.
The House has adjourned for a two-week spring break.
The group planned to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and to travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Ellison's spokesman, Rick Jauert.
The speaker is expected on Sunday to address the Israeli Knesset, her first address to a foreign government. She will become the highest- ranking American woman to speak before the Israeli parliament, according to her office.
She is expected to discuss "America's commitment to Israel and the challenges facing the two nations in the Middle East," according to a statement.
In late January, Pelosi and a close political ally, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., led a delegation of House members to Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and other countries.
The January trip to Baghdad came just days after the president asked Congress in his State of the Union address to give his revised war strategy a chance to work. Bush is sending 21,500 additional combat troops, plus thousands of other support troops, to Iraq in a bid to tamp down sectarian attacks and provide enough security to hasten reconstruction efforts.
Pelosi last week forced legislation through the House that would order all combat troops out of Iraq by September 2008, a measure that resembles legislation approved by the Democratic-run Senate.
___
Associated Press writers Frederic J. Frommer, Jennifer Loven and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Perhaps in a few days, we will be in negotiations for the return of their bodies.
Your first sentence where my thoughts exactly.
The only reason to be concerned about the third in line to the Presidency being in Syria is if you would view it a positive if she were here in the event of a necessitating disaster.
This would seem to be a ripe political opportunity for the Republicans. If Pelosi is not made to pay a political price for this act, then I am not sure what her opposition is made of.
I'm just sitting here shaking my head....because I know you're right.
But, we either have a policy regarding Syria, or we don't. Hence...the head shaking.
Exactly! I want to LOL for your comment, but damn this topic is too serious........
If Pelosi were kidnapped by terrorists, would we really want her back?
Dear Mr. Continental Soldier,
We won't want Pelosi as a person back. But, we sure as in hell want the person occupying the Speaker of the House back. So, it is a constitutional function that we WILL AND MUST protect. Yes, I hate her dearly......but, at the same time can't denigrate the office she holds (thanks to dumb voters in November 2006)!
OK, I'll buy that. :)
Would someone please tell me just who in the blazes this woman thinks she is??? She's not the president, she's not going with the administation's blessing, she really has no power to make decisions for the USA, damn, what else can I come up with? She's out of her freaking mind!
Unfortunately there is a republican delegation visiting Syria right now; and some republican congressmen are scheduled to visit Syria in near future so Pelosi probably will just claim that other side does it too.
And you thought Wellstone's funeral was bad!!
Just imagine if something like that happened to her!! Oy!
What? Black arm bands and party hats don't mix? :o)
Israelis will give her an earful, unless she turns off her hearing aid.
It's very difficult to keep from wishing harm on the current Speaker of the House.
You know she'll come back and tell about the wonderful conversation she had with Assad, how they just need more understanding and how Bush has it all wrong.
I've noticed that Rocky has been laying low since it was divulged that he was leaking classified info.
The pilot should be ordered to deplane the passengers and then depart Damascus, leaving them to fend for themselves.
The embassy should be directed to assist with hotel reservations should they be required while the Rats make their arrangements to leave Syria.
Well, I'm praying for her safe return. Not just because she's an American and a member of congress or because I'm a nice guy but because if the Syrian Government did something to her we would have to respond and it would detract energy and men we need to have ready if Iran escalates.
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