How Syrians Feel About Pelosi's visit

[red states rule]

From the website of the Reform Party of Syria, a group that advocates freedom, democracy and peace in Syria and the Middle East. They do not like Ms Pelosi (who seems to think she is now Sec of State) coddling with dictators and thugs, unlike the liberal media who gives her glowing coverage



Washington DC, March 31, 2007/RPS Press Release/ -- US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi will be visiting Syria shortly to meet with Baschar al-Assad, the self-imposed president of Syria. While RPS is always amiable to dialogue, we believe that dialogue with violent dictators harboring terrorists sends the wrong signal about the US commitment to freedom; especially when dialogue has been tried on many occasions with no results to speak of.

Ms. Pelosi is visiting Syria because of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. Other high level visits by other senior diplomats including Secretary Colin Powell in 2003 have resulted in Assad fomenting more violence against the Syrian, the Lebanese, and the Iraqi people and not less. We believe that Congresswoman Pelosi's visit will also yield less results and more violence because some US Officials mistake dialogue with violent dictators as a productive tool of diplomacy while the violent dictators like Assad, who adhere to no laws, perceive dialogue with western appeasers as a weakness to be exploited.

We also oppose the visit of Congresswoman Pelosi because it will have a chilling effect on the reformists inside Syria who have spared no risk in advancing the cause of human rights, freedom, and democracy. People like Dr. Kamal Labwani, who is languishing in solitary confinement because he expressed his peaceful views openly and Dr. Aref Dalilah who is serving a 10-year sentence for condemning corruption in the Syrian government. Congresswoman Pelosi's visit rubber stamps oppression against 20 million Syrians who live under an Assad Apartheid system. RPS expects Assad to become even bolder after the Pelosi visit by commuting harsh sentences against dissidents as a sign of victory.

More importantly, Pelosi's visit will be interpreted by the Lebanese people as acquiescing to Assad's demands when it comes to their freedom. It also sends the signal that killing Lebanese politicians can go unpunished as senior US officials keep visiting Assad instead of supporting the investigation of his violent deeds as a sign to all dictators than no one should be above the law.

RPS applauds the White House and the US State Department for their steadfast opposition to dialogue with Assad before real reforms are introduced to open the Syrian society to a system of democracy under the rule of law.

http://www.reformsyria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=277&Itemid=

 

[90K]

What a joke! Pelosi is just full of herself and thinking that going to Syria is gonna change the climate? Syria will keep doing what has been doing for a long time and that is speaking out of the side of there mouths.

 

[jasendorf]

We have two options. Diplomacy or invasion. And, with the botching of our recent invasions... I think maybe diplomacy would be a good thing to try at this moment in time.

 

[90K]

We have two options. Diplomacy or invasion. And, with the botching of our recent invasions... I think maybe diplomacy would be a good thing to try at this moment in time.

Good point, but allowing Pelosi to go over and mock the system isn't very positive. Pelosi isn't Condoleeza Rice who has a real mission. Pelosi is the speaker of the house and yes she might be representing the Democratic party; but her job is on our soil being the speaker IMO.

 

[red states rule]

We have two options. Diplomacy or invasion. And, with the botching of our recent invasions... I think maybe diplomacy would be a good thing to try at this moment in time.

Libs have a long history of sucking up to murderous dictators - why should this be any different?

Pelosi is doing her 2007 version of Neville Chamberlain

 

[red states rule]

We have two options. Diplomacy or invasion. And, with the botching of our recent invasions... I think maybe diplomacy would be a good thing to try at this moment in time.

Pelosi talks to Assad with no authorization by the U.S.
By Zeina Karam
ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 5, 2007


DAMASCUS, Syria -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syria's leader yesterday despite White House objections, saying she pressed President Bashar Assad over his country's support for militant groups and passed him a peace message from Israel.
The meeting was an attempt to push the Bush administration to open a direct dialogue with Syria, a step that the White House has rejected. Congressional Democrats insist the U.S. attempts to isolate Syria have failed to force the Assad government to change its policies.
Rep. Tom Lantos, California Democrat and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who was in Mrs. Pelosi's delegation, said the meeting "reinforced very strongly" the potential benefits of talking to Syria. "This is only the beginning of our constructive dialogue with Syria, and we hope to build on this visit," he told reporters.
Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat, later flew to Saudi Arabia, where she discussed Iraq and other regional issues with King Abdullah at his ranch in Janadriyah, about 25 miles northeast of the capital, Riyadh, Saudi Press Agency reported. She is later due to visit the oil-rich kingdom's all-male Shura (consultative) Council.
On Tuesday, President Bush denounced Mrs. Pelosi's visit to Syria, saying it sends mixed signals to Mr. Assad's government. "Sending delegations doesn't work. It's simply been counterproductive," Mr. Bush said.
Mrs. Pelosi accused the White House of singling out her Syria visit for criticism.
"It's interesting because three of our colleagues, who are all Republicans, were in Syria yesterday and I didn't hear the White House speaking out about that," Mrs. Pelosi said in Lebanon on Monday, referring to the Sunday meeting of Reps. Frank R. Wolf of Virginia, Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania and Robert B. Aderholt of Alabama with Mr. Assad in Damascus.
"I think that it was an excellent idea for them to go," she said. "And I think it's an excellent idea for us to go, as well."
Washington says Syria is fueling Iraq's violence by allowing Sunni insurgents to operate from its territory. It also accuses it of backing terrorism because of its support for the Hezbollah and Hamas militant groups and of destabilizing the Lebanese government.
"We came in friendship, hope and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace," Mrs. Pelosi told reporters after her talks with Mr. Assad.
Mrs. Pelosi said she and her delegation "expressed our concern about Syria's connections to Hezbollah and Hamas" and discussed the issue of militant fighters slipping across the Syrian border into Iraq.
"These are important issues not only in the fight against terrorism, but important priorities for us for peace in the Middle East," she said.
She said she brought a message to Mr. Assad from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel was ready for peace talks with Syria. Mr. Assad gave assurances that "he's ready to engage in negotiations for peace with Israel," Mrs. Pelosi said.
Mr. Assad repeatedly has insisted that talks must lead to the return of the Golan Heights, seized by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War.
In the talks with Mr. Assad, the U.S. delegation raised the issue of Israeli soldiers kidnapped by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas and conveyed "the importance of Syria's role with Hamas in promoting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis," Mrs. Pelosi said.
Syria hosts the exiled leadership of Hamas, as well as other Palestinian radical groups, and is a major patron of Hezbollah. While the United States regards Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist groups, Syria insists that Hamas is a legitimate resistance movement working for Palestinian freedom and that Hezbollah is a regular Lebanese political party.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070405-121334-7160r.htm