Syria tells PELOSI it's ready for peace talks

[babylonsister]

:D

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070404/ts_nm/syria_usa_pelosi_dc;_ylt=AmZ3VgqvyIZe1n5wGOm8VoGs0NUE

Syria tells Pelosi it ready for peace talks

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis 22 minutes ago

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), on a visit to
Syria opposed by the White House, said on Wednesday President Bashar al-Assad was ready to hold peace talks with Israel.

But her remark that Israel was prepared to negotiate with Damascus prompted Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office to underline the Jewish state's preconditions for such talks.

Democrat Pelosi is the most senior U.S. official to visit Syria in more than two years.

Republican President George W. Bush had said her visit sent mixed signals to Syria. A spokesman for the White House National Security Council called it "counterproductive" on Wednesday.

"We were very pleased with the reassurances we received from the president (Assad) that he was ready to resume the peace process. He was ready to engage in negotiations (for) peace with Israel," Pelosi said.

"(Our) meeting with the president enabled us to communicate a message from prime minister Olmert that Israel was ready to engage in peace talks as well," Pelosi, the third most senior official in Washington, told reporters after talks with Assad.

more...

[Little Wing]

1. We're at war?

:crazy:

[eleny]

2. Heh...heh

A nice Easter present from Nancy to lil' dubya.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. The speaker only has to spend a day in the middle east and it's all sorted

There ya go George!

[NMDemDist2]

4. Pelosi does in 3 days what KindaSleezy couldn't (or wouldn't) pull off in

3 years

good grief, this administration is so incredibly lame

[babylonsister]

5. It sure makes Pelosi look very competent! nt

[trogdor]

60. OTOH (don't hit me)

Perhaps they understand the concept of divided government better than most people think, and are playing Pelosi against Bush.

(oooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh111!!!111!1!)

That was some good Kool-Aid.

[saltpoint]

7. Very good point. Condiliar's nowhere to be found in these negotiations.

[tulsakatz]

8. it's amazing what can be accomplished......

..with a little diplomacy!

[tridim]

6. Well it is "counterproductive" to the BFEE's dreams of ME imperial domination

It's quite refreshing to finally hear the word PEACE spoken for the first time in 6 years.

I freaking love Pelosi! I'm guessing her stock is sky high right now with most Americans.

All this good news equates to punching Bush while he's down. KEEP IT UP DEMS! Beat that SOB too the point where he can't get up ever again. :)

[Amonester]

9. Nancy to AWOL Pissypants: "Watch that drive..."

The Repulsive thief's reaction:




:thumbsup:

[ejbr]

13. This deserves a caption contest!

Me first! Me first!

Okay, let me think..."Mr. President, good news. After my success in Syria, Iran has just contacted my office to say that they are going to stop their nuclear program. I didn't even have to enter their country! Isn't that great!" :D

[wordpix]

30. hahaha, that fits Pissypants' reaction perfectly

:rofl:

[NewJeffCT]

55. Since Bush "diplomacy" has been likened to "Cowboy" diplomacy

I'll take a page from Bruce Willis in "Die Hard"

"Yippee Kie Yay - Motherfucker"

[pink-o]

38. Bwahahaha

..prove positive that Georgie is now her bitch




.:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[thereismore]

10. In yer face, pissypants! nt

[kerry-is-my-prez]

11. How dare she - everyone knows the road to peace is war and insults.

Where did she come up with this crazy idea that diplomacy and talking would ever work?

[midnight]

12. Very pleased too. Thank you Ms. Pelosi.

[Gregorian]

14. I just called her office and thanked them.

She just pulled the rug out from under the Decider, is what I said. And then asked when impeachment would be on the table. They said they'd take down a note that I asked that impeachment be on the table.

I don't usually feel the need to tell everyone about my phone calls, but this seems to be a cathartic morning for me. I feel a sense that a deep reservoir of anger is about to turn into action.

Dethrone the Decider!

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. "But her remark that Israel was prepared to negotiate with Damascus prompted Prime Minister Ehud

Olmert's office to underline the Jewish state's preconditions for such talks."

And what might those preconditions be?

Any preconditions more significant than seating arrangements means that somebody is not really interested in negotiations.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. preconditions: anything Cheney says.

anything to prevent this movement from going forward.

Now, most Israelis want to talk to Syria. Most Israelis feel stabbed in the back by Bush and his policies, and feel less secure with him in office.

Only two groups want something else - AIPAC and the Neocons. The sooner we marry those two in the minds of America, the better off both the US and Israel will be.

[Norquist Nemesis]

21. He's playing the same game as Bush does with Iran

"We'll be happy to talk with them as soon as they stop uranium enrichment (or something else)."

You're right about just how serious they really are though.

[Elidor]

16. Seymour Hersh wrote about Syrian overtures to the US a couple of years ago

After September 11, Syria tried repeatedly to improve relations with the US, offering help against Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. The Bush crew didn't want to hear it, and they still don't. They have put Syria on their enemies list and refuse to work with them. So it's not even about Pelosi doing something that Rice has been unable to do: Rice is completely unwilling to engage them. One can argue how sincere their offers are, but to refuse to even talk about it is the height of hubristic incompetence. And Bush is undoubtedly pissed that Pelosi is doing an end-run around the State Dept. to work with a regime he wants to overthrow. Hersh's book, Chain of Command, is very illuminating on this topic.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. shit. Iran made overtures, too.

But the Bushistas never wanted peace, they wanted a piece.

[Maraya1969]

19. I swear this brings tears to my eyes. The nightmare is finally ending.

[BamaLefty]

20. Nancy Pelosi

My President! :bounce:

[deepthought42]

26. I second that...from now on Ms. Pelosi is my President.

Let the fools have their pResident! I'd rather have the real thing. :evilgrin:

[wordpix]

31. here, here! Nancy, my president, too. Get that pResident outta there at last!

At least box him in a corner until he's tried for treason and corruption.

:bounce: :woohoo:

[Mr. Ected]

22. Syria Supported the United States After 9/11

It wasn't until after Bush's Iraq disaster that Syria distanced itself from the USA diplomatically.

The message here is simple: NO ONE WILL NEGOTIATE WITH BUSH.

Thank you, Speaker Pelosi, for bringing some dignity to the US government again amongst foreign nations.

[juno jones]

23. Pelosi '07!.....n/t

[disndat]

46. Yes, yes yes!

Impeach both sonabitches and put Nancy in the WH!

[Botany]

24. CNN radio; Syria put pressure on Iran to release the Brits. Nancy P?

Did my Fav Nancy Pelosi, not only carry a message of peace from
Israel to Syria but helped out in getting the Brits released?

That is it, George and the Dick can leave now before impeachment
and Nancy can take over and start cleaning up the mess.




Again this is just speculation but the timing seems real tight.

[wordpix]

32. well, women are used to cleaning up the messes of others so why not?

[FatDave]

36. I heard the same announcement

Said to my wife: "How great would it be if Nancy Pelosi got the British hostages released?"

Can you imagine the heads that would explode over that one?

[lebkuchen]

25. But, but, what will become of the war profiteers??

Don't they have to make a living?

[wordpix]

33. haul em up before Congress for questioning. Where did our $300 billion go?

Did not go to providing jobs for Iraqis, that's for sure. Jobs they could have gotten went to the mercenaries and contractors who have made obscene profits.

[Patsy Stone]

27. Bush and Cheney can't hear you, Syria...

[FVZA_Colonel]

28. I wonder how long it will be until Fox, Right Wing Talk Radio, and neo-con columnists

start acusing her of negotiating with terrorists because of this. In all liklihood this trip has already caused that to happen, and this will just cause that rhetoric to be ratcheted up.

[wordpix]

34. RW take is Nancy & Dems are not doing work of Congress--diplomacy is the WH's job

Only problem is, WH refuses to negotiate or engage in diplomacy. :crazy:

[AllyCat]

39. And no wonder Bush is mad Congress is on vacation:

Look what Pelosi does with her time off. We all know what Pissypants does with his.

Good God, how much longer before we can have a real President??

Go Pelosi! This is that little known concept of diplomacy in action. Amazing. Simply amazing.

[Deep13]

29. Bush is now officially irrelevant. nt

[The Doctor.]

35. See what happens when the adults are in charge? nt

[Bluedogvoter]

37. I really hope they are ready to stop sponsoring terrorism.

Or at least not letting the global jihad guys operate out of Syria.

Either way, Pelosi has now tied herself to Syria. If Syria continues to sponsor terrorism after this she will be tied to it by every pug that remembers this.

Either way, I'm glad she is making the attempt.

[Gen. Jack D. Ripper]

40. HA! "counterproductive"

look up counterproductive in the dictionary and you'll see a picture of 'ol smirky.

Man, I'm afraid come 2008, the end of the Bush administration, there'll be nothing to amaze me. I will have seen all that is outrageous. Life will be so dull.

[laugle]

41. My take on this is; if we think Bush is psycho, imagine

what they think in the Middle East and elsewhere!

They are probably anxious for a sane negotiator, since Bush must be seen as someone who only wants to start wars!

Like us, they don't know what the hell he's going to do next!

[19jet54]

42. A ripe world...

... ready to embrace peacemakers & the kindhearted.

And the most hated person in the world is W.

I agree, it is counterproductive to his "hatred & war" plans?

[cmd]

43. Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Nancy Pelosi!

That does have a nice ring to it.

[Igel]

44. Yawn.

Both sides have gone on record repeatedly saying that they're ready for peace talks, and it's the *other* guy's fault that peace hasn't blossomed throughout the known universe.

However, both sides have conditions. Israel refuses to pull back to the 1967 ceasefire line, and refuses to do a few other things Syria considers necessary to establish any sort of treaty. Both believe themselves to have good reasons for their stances, and both have their tried and true talking points.

Apart from Pelosi mania, I don't see that there's news here. No, wait, there is news: The media are stupid. No, I'm wrong again. That's not news either.

[ProudDad]

48. You're right there

Israel wants to build its Apartheid wall, keep their settlements that make the West Bank look like a swiss cheese, keep their nukes and get their billions from the U.S. taxpayer.

Most of the rest of the civilized WORLD including the Arab world would like to see a peace plan that includes Israel giving up their illegal occupation and colonization of the West Bank and Golan Heights in exchange for a lasting peace.

That bizarre theocracy that is Israel can't do that. Dog said, "you get it all!"

So a powerful, vocal, militant minority of Israelis wants it all.

And we finance it all. :grr:


On Edit: Good on ole' Nancy Pelosi for talking with the Syrians. That's a step in a better direction.

[Counciltucky]

45. Well that explains why Bush didn't want Pelosi over there.

Peace is the opposite of what Bush wants.

[SJames]

47. Now if she just " drains the pork fat swamp "

[ProudDad]

49. Check this out!

It's about the Beets...

http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_cartoon&itemid=4601

[AllyCat]

51. She'd be the first, since that is the way American politics have worked

for a very, very long time. There is not a bill that goes through Congress that is not RIDDLED with it, no matter who sponsors it and who votes on it.

We'd all love to see "clean" bills, but pork in a military appropriations bill is certainly nothing new.

[rockymountaindem]

50. Two things:

1) Can we let Condi Rice take a vacation until 2009 now?
2) People who say there are no differences between Repubs. and Dems. are still idiots.

[frogcycle]

53. now, now

let's not lay it all on being dem vs rep

there are some fine, intelligent republicans (somewhere.. there MUST be) and there are some sorry-assed fools who are dems.


no, it is the difference between being megalomaniacal fools and being sane, decent human beings

its just coincidence that most reps are the former and most dems are the latter

[pigpickle]

52. If only dubya had a diplomatic bone in his body.........

.......we wouldn't be in such deep shit in the Middle East.

[bdamomma]

58. what was dimson's response " we don't negotiate with terrorists"

he would rather bomb the hell out of them and their people.

[Vidar]

54. She did well on this one.

[The Lost Patriot]

56. More and More everyday.......

Dubya is looking more like a small child who has had his GI Joe War toys taken away. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah mommy I want my war back.... Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[kegler14]

57. Hate to put a damper on the celebration but...

Pelosi has solved absolutely nothing. She completely misrepresented what Israel said and if she truly believes that al-Assad is ready to hold talks with no impossible pre-conditions, well, I've got some bridges and swamp land I'd like to sell her.

[Sparkly]

59. Oh gee, I'm crushed now....

1. Quote/link of how she "misrepresented what Israel said?"

2. Quote/link of her saying she "truly believes that al-Assad is ready to hold talks with no impossible pre-conditions?"

[oldgreygelding]

61. Olmert Statement

Per Jerusalem Post: link: http//www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879247562&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[RaleighNCDUer]

63. That says nothing about Syria's preconditions, only about

Olmert's preconditions.

That is Olmert scuttling the idea of peace negotiations.

Let the responsibility lie where it belongs.

[Sparkly]

65. Yeah, and?

The officials said Olmert had told Pelosi that he thought her trip to Damascus was a mistake, and that when she asked - nevertheless - whether he had a message for Assad, Olmert said Syria should first stop supporting terrorism and "act like a normal country," and only then would Israel be willing to hold discussions.

The first part of that message, the officials said, was lost in what was reported from Damascus on Wednesday.

Again, where's the link to what she actually said to Assad? (Hint: there isn't one.) :eyes:

[ItNerd4life]

62. I'm confused why people believe this is a big deal?

Would somebody please explain to me how 10 years ago when Bill Clinton was president, Syria also wanted to talk peace. But, nothing ever came out of it because Syria's idea of peace was the elimination of Israel.

How is Pelosi going to actually change the underlying arguments of what Syria means when it says 'peace' talks?

[RaleighNCDUer]

64. nothing ever came out of it because Syria's idea of peace was the elimination of Israel.

Can you back that up?

Does that really make peace talks impossible?

Remember, Egypt went from "There is no state of Israel" to recognition and a peace treaty that has stood for 30 years, virtually overnight.

Olmert has just rejected an overture by Syria, insisting on preconditions to coming to the table. That does not sound like someone who is interested in peace.

[Sparkly]

66. BushCo seem to think it's a big deal.

They're going out of their way to cast asparagus -- er, aspersions -- on Pelosi.