Posted on 12/30/2010 5:05:25 AM PST by SJackson
Robert Ford to become first US ambassador to Damascus since 2005; opponents say move rewards Syrian regime for bad behavior. Talkbacks (23) WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama has bypassed the US Senate and directly appointed four new ambassadors, including Robert Ford, who will become the first US envoy to Syria since 2005.
Specific senators had blocked or refused to consider the confirmations of the nominees for various reasons, including questions about their qualifications. But in the most high-profile case, that of the new envoy to Syria, a number of senators objected because they believed sending an ambassador to the country would reward it for bad behavior.
"Making undeserved concessions to Syria tells the regime in Damascus that it can continue to pursue its dangerous agenda and not face any consequences from the US," Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the incoming chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement. "That is the wrong message to be sending to a regime which continues to harm and threaten US interests and those of such critical allies as Israel."
The administration had argued that returning an ambassador to Syria after a five-year absence would help persuade Syria to change its policies regarding Israel, Lebanon and Iraq as well as its willingness to support extremist groups. Syria is designated a "state sponsor of terrorism" by the State Department.
Former President George W. Bush's administration withdrew a full-time ambassador from Syria in 2005 after terrorism accusations and to protest the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, killed in a Beirut truck bombing that his supporters blamed on Syria. Syria denied involvement.
Obama nominated Ford, a career diplomat and a former ambassador to Algeria, to the post in February but his nomination stalled after his confirmation hearings and was never voted on.
The White House announced Wednesday that Obama would use his power to make recess appointments to fill envoy posts to Azerbaijan, Syria and NATO allies Turkey and the Czech Republic.
Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress. They are frequently used when Senate confirmation is not possible.
The other Obama nominees announced Wednesday are Matthew Bryza for Azerbaijan, Norman Eisen for the Czech Republic and Francis Ricciardone for Turkey.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Okay, remind me again. ARE recess appointments only good/valid until the NEW 112th convenes or is it until the 113th in 2012?
Holy Cow
obama unilaterally opens full diplomatic relations with Syria as a recess appointment?
He don’t need no steenkin’ Senate or House, do he?
Maybe soon he can unilaterally decide some of the Supreme Court cases he wants to go his way
He don’t need no steenkin’ Constitution either
It’s the Hugo Chavez school of government by decree- so efficient
Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress.
So, Obamao gets a one year FReebie to hose up foreign policy even worse than he has done.
Open season and no bag limits, the only solution to the dhim socialist problem.
Here’s a Huff Post discussion of two of the losers obama just appointed
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harut-sassounian/senators-block-ambassador_b_676610.html
der Fuhrer Hussein 0bama, Dictator in Chief, and his loyal Czars are already ruling by decree anyway.
When evaluating the future it is of value to consider recent change that might effect the status quo.
Simmering along on the back burner, the destruction of the Iranian nuclear and possibly missile program has occurred. The permanence is not yet fully apparent, but it seems that Iran has been eliminated as a nuclear threat, at least for the time being.
What we know with high certainty is that the nuclear threat is severely damaged and the important minds responsible are in Paradise. There was apparently damage of unknown severity to the missiles.
That brings up the issues of who benefited from the threat of nuclear intimidation?
Syria was operating under the assumption that there was or would be Iranian support and nuclear cover. Ditto Hezbollah. Ditto Hamas. That assumption is now in question and likely invalid.
Into this new vacuum the US State Department is duty bound to develop a presence and stir things around. The outcome is unknown and depends on the skill of the players and related events cascading from the Iranian losses.
I don’t know anything about the Ambassador proposed and can’t make a factual judgment, but it seems extremely worthwhile to send a ranking individual to Syria to hang out and maybe stir things up.
Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress.>>>>>>>>>>>
Sessions are two years what grade school did you go to? :)
Its all about the demise of the western civilization component in America.
A reasoned and well stated assessment. I hope it is correct.
In the old days the procedure was needed because Congress was not in session for long stretches of time. For example, the term of the Congress elected in November 1862 ended on March 4, 1865, and the term of the Congress elected in November 1864 did not start until December 1865, which meant that when Lincoln was assassinated and Andrew Johnson became President in April 1865, he did not have to face a Congress in session for nearly 8 months, giving him time to try to reconstruct the former Confederate states as he saw fit.
“So, Obamao gets a one year FReebie to hose up foreign policy even worse than he has done. “
Nope, the new congress can defund any and all expenditures for a Syrian delegation if it takes it up, which it will.
the power of purse is the real power
Did any newsie think to ask the question that many of us would like answered: "really? how?"
Israel’s new deep water natural gas find is making the non-oil countries in the Middle East crazy. They all want a piece of it, including Hezbollah. The idea of Israel becoming economically independent of the US, scares them to death.
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