Michael J. Totten: US Senators trying to "find facts" in Syria

December 14, 2006

US Senators trying to "find facts" in Syria

Senator Bill Nelson (D), the first in a group of at least 4 senators who want to try dialogue with Syria, has been dragged through the mud by dictator Bashar Assad. Over the next few days, John Kerry, Arlen Specter and Christopher Dodd will join him, in an attempt to "convince the Assad regime to "cooperate" in Iraq. As soon as they finish reading the Baker-Hamilton report.

The report, as you know, recommended dialogue with Syria and Iran, because "it worked before" (can't you see how it worked for the US? Iran and Syria are now trusted US allies). Although the panel, which spent nine months peppering the obvious with delusional half-baked solutions, said the US would not compromise over Lebanon to get Syria's cooperation, it said it believes the Assad regime has an interest in a stable Iraq and Lebanon.

Right. So off goes Nelson, who gloated that Assad "clearly indicated a willingness to cooperate'' in controlling its border with Iraq.

Nelson said he reported the information to embassy officials and will brief his congressional committees on the trip.

Sean McCormack wasn't impressed:

At the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack questioned even the usefulness of Nelson's visit, considering the lack of effect on Syria's action by other visiting foreign dignitaries such as German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier or Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos of Spain.

"We still haven't seen any change in Syrian behavior, any noticeable change in Syrian behavior. ... They haven't changed their behavior at all despite those entreaties to change their behavior."

On Lebanon, Nelson really let Bashar have it, or was it the other way around?

"We support the (Lebanese) prime minister's efforts to establish a tribunal for a horrific crime of assassination," Nelson told reporters. "It is very important that the Untied Nations follows through with this investigation.. and find the perpetrators and bring them to justice," Nelson said.

Assad "disagreed with the opinion that I expressed," Nelson said, adding the Syrian president "said that he did not support the Saniora government."

"On that we had a very sharp exchange of words and a sharp disagreement," Nelson added.

Hopefully (sarcasm), Kerry and the rest will convince Assad where Nelson failed, and Assad will continue to feel important, and frequented by US Senators programmed to blindly oppose their president, without offering a clear alternative.

The senators have described their mission as a "fact-finding" trip. Here's a suggestion. Read those intelligence reports. Or have one of your interns translate a Lebanese newspaper. Maybe visit a Lebanese blog or two. Just don't expect yourselves to achieve anything but wasting taxpayer money by visiting Assad.

What's next? Tea and a holocaust story with Ahmadinejad?

Posted by Abu Kais at December 14, 2006 11:23 AM

Comments

Assuming dialog is not possible with Hezbollah or Syria, can forces opposed to them win militarily?

If not, is there hope for intervention from a greater military power?

If not, what alternatives remain?

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at December 14, 2006 11:45 AM

At least these guys have the balls to go there, unlike Mcain, McConnell, Brownback, Coburn etc etc etc

Posted by: jamie at December 14, 2006 12:29 PM

Balls? It doesn't take balls to appease and coddle a dictator. It takes balls to stand up to him.

These "fact finding" missions are pathetic and serve no purpose but to inflate Bashar's ego.

Posted by: BadVilbel at December 14, 2006 01:25 PM

The "balls to go there" means nothing without the brains to recognize what they see.

Posted by: ElMondoHummus at December 14, 2006 01:26 PM

Appeasement with a dictator doesn't take balls - to Assad, this is exactly what he wants to see: a direct, blatant attempt to undermine the sovereignty of the president.

If the Dems think that this is going to show that they "actively" engaged in every form of dialogue and diplomacy necessary to ensure the "peace in our time", they are so wrong.

Hey, Nelson, what's the sect Assad is from - Shiite or Sunni?

Who wants to bet he'll get it wrong the first time round?

Posted by: harrison at December 14, 2006 05:14 PM

As long as they're there, tell them to keep an eye out for Jamil Hussein. He's been missing for some time now, and I'm beginning to be concerned.

Posted by: TallDave at December 14, 2006 06:07 PM

It's a political ploy with no intent to do anything other than score "Bush Bashing" points with the Democrat party constituents.

As far as the Nelson, Kerry, and the others are concerned its their own egos getting the polishing.

They get to slam Bush since they're engaging in treason, er... diplomacy while Bush does his warmongering thing. Then, if they get some assurances that Assad will play nice, they can use those assurances to bash Bush regardless of Bush's position on the idea.

So the Dems score points with their base and Europe and that's all that matters to them.

Greg

Posted by: Greg at December 14, 2006 06:19 PM

Full of bullshit, like usual.

Posted by: Adamenose at December 14, 2006 07:18 PM

Anyone not clear on just which side the American Left is on?

No?

I didn't think so.

That is all.

Posted by: TmjUtah at December 14, 2006 08:35 PM

Ha. I was wondering how long it would take "appeasement" to creep into the comments. Frankly, I'm surprised it didn't make it till the fifth comment. For shame!

Posted by: Swan at December 14, 2006 10:19 PM

Assad's sect:
Actually, Assad is neither Shi'ite nor Sunni.
He's an Alawite. This is a very small sect, which is a spin-off of Shi'a, but considered heretical by other Shi'ites. The Alawites are just 10% of the Syrian population, but since the Hafez Assad (father of Bashar) seized the control of the country, they were promoted to a lot of key positions in the government.
The fact that Assad comes from such a minority also explains why he will try to cling to power by whatever means he can.

Posted by: concerned israeli at December 14, 2006 10:36 PM

The holocaust never even happened. We had scholars here recently who proved it didn't happen.

Posted by: dinner jacket at December 14, 2006 11:31 PM

My disgraceful Senator Bill Nelson receive assurances from Assad that he would clamp down on border infiltrations of Al Qaedan jihadists and Baathist remnants into Iraq's Anbar Province via Syria's eastern border. I wonder if anything more will come of these assurances than came of the exact same assurances that Nelson received from Assad in Damascus back in 2004...no, I don't...

Posted by: Salamantis at December 15, 2006 02:12 AM

Nelson's shortsighted visit aside, the international community seems to be preparing a series of actions that will permanently knock the Syrians off their feet and force them into a position of compromise.

These actions include an Israeli handover of the Shebaa Farms to the UN, the launch of a regional Mid East peace summit, the establishment of the International Tribunal, and in June, the delivery of the final Hariri Assassination UN report. Coupled with a possible tightening of the screws on Iran, this strategy might actually lead to something useful coming out of this administration's Mid East policy (for all the US's support we've still had 14 assassinations and bombing, a month-long war which destroyed critical infrastructure, and an armed movement which has beseiged the government's offices for nearly two weeks now).

However, in the face of these actions we can expect Syria and Iran to turn up the heat in Lebanon and Iraq through more assassinations, bombings, and coups d'etat.

Posted by: Blacksmith Jade at December 15, 2006 07:39 AM

Assad's promises reflect that he understands with whom he is dealing - individuals with no authority whatsoever to represent the foreign policy of the United States. So why was it that they went again?

The Ahmadinejadi scholars' forum is simply world-class. Cite a few "known intellectuals" and anything is possible. Hell, even Borat did that.

Posted by: Caveman at December 15, 2006 07:46 AM

Assad's MO with this kind of visit is to mumble noncommittally during the actual visit, and then say something outrageous as soon as the visitor's plane lifts off the ground.

Caveman, the strategic desperation has been gooing on for far too long.

Posted by: Bruno Mota at December 15, 2006 09:02 AM

Not that our politicians aren't great, but wouldn't a friendly visit by Marines accomplish more?

Posted by: TallDave at December 15, 2006 12:35 PM

Not that our politicians aren't great, but wouldn't a friendly visit by Marines accomplish more?

Marines riding ponies.

Seriously, Dave, shouldn't you save the Stg. Fury dialog for a time when there is surplus military available?

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at December 15, 2006 01:48 PM

DPU, do you have any idea what the US already has on station in the Med?

While it's not enough to invade and occupy a la Iraq, it's more than enough to get rid of Assad.

Posted by: rosignol at December 15, 2006 09:00 PM

As long as they're there, tell them to keep an eye out for Jamil Hussein. He's been missing for some time now, and I'm beginning to be concerned.

LOL!

Posted by: Rubin at December 15, 2006 10:14 PM

You are pretty utopian if you think that an agreement if it were to happen would be first negotiated publicly. In today's politics, everything goes under the table first.

Posted by: Nancy at December 15, 2006 11:16 PM

I'll preface this by saying that I don't necessarily agree with everything that Baker says in his report, and this comment isn't directed at what Abu Kais said in his post...

...but it's sad to see the "traitor", "left wing supports the other side", "nothing more than Bush bashing" screeching, and yes - that's exactly what it is - doing the rounds in in response to any Republican or otherwise who thinks the commission's recommendations are worth listening to.

Left wingers...well, let's see, last I checked Baker and his law firm has supported the Bush family for decades, including representing the current president in the Florida recount.

Come on, you can do better than to tar anyone who disagrees with you with this particular brush.

And maybe we wouldn't even be having these discussions if Rumsfeld and Co hadn't so spectacularly messed up in the immediate post war period, which has seen billions of your tax dollars being spent, for...remind, me, what exactly has been achieved again?

Posted by: Nana Poku at December 16, 2006 06:34 AM

DPU, do you have any idea what the US already has on station in the Med?

What do they have? Also, keep in mind that it takes very little to get rid of a ruler. It takes considerably more to fix a political problem without making it worse. Assuming, of course, that one is actually interested in consequences of actions and not simply lashing out.

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at December 16, 2006 10:07 AM

Left wingers...well, let's see, last I checked Baker and his law firm has supported the Bush family for decades, including representing the current president in the Florida recount.

Nana, didn't you get the memo? The new definition of "left wing" is "anyone I disagree with". How else to explain that Andrew Sullivan is leading the Weblog Awards as most irritating blog in both the left and right wing categories?

Just goes to show that you don't need to have any understanding of political ideology to be a political expert on the internet. And it amuses me no end that many alleged conservatives are now thinking that James Baker is a leftist.

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at December 16, 2006 12:34 PM

No, Baker is not an example of recently antisemitic blame-America-first leftism, but neither is he an example of long-time antisemitic right-wing isolationism. He's what is called a 'realist', that is, a member of a Cold-War-era group which tends to possess an amoral perspective upon foreign policy; they're willing to make deals with devils and to sell out friends if they perceive these actions to benefit the US position in the global zeitgeist. That's what motivated his widely reported comment years ago ("F*ck the Jews; they don't vote for us anyway"), what motivated his first sellout of Lebanon (to gain Syria's co-operation in Gulf War I), and what could motivate his second sell-out of Lebanon now - to get Syrian assistance, or at least a dampening of their resistance, vis-a-vis Iraq. Let it be remembered, though, that Syria's subsequent assistance in Gulf War I was negligible to nonexistent, and it would most likely be even less under the present circumstances. It is said that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over andover expeting different results. Putting the manifest immorality of the abandonment, desertion and betrayal of a beleaguered and beseiged fledgling democracy aside (something that I pesonally cannot do), one would wonder what would possess a rational person or state to make another give-something, get-nothing-in-return deal with the same nation that raked in, then stiffed them before.

Aftr the Soviet Union broke up, the US stopped supporting most bastards simply because they were our bastards, to balance out the bastards being supported by the Soviet Union, and has attempted to inject a principled morality, considering the character of te govrnments engaged, in its selection of friends and foes, and how and with whom it offers assistance or applies pressure. I hope that the messages of these Cold-War-era dinosaurs are soundly rejected, and that the ethics of our decisions continue to be considered.

Posted by: Salamantis at December 16, 2006 12:59 PM

Just off the top of my head:

Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Jordan
Egypt
Kazakhstan
Bahrain
Nigeria
Qatar
Oman

... are all authoritarian dictatorships, and alllae supported by or allied with the US.

So I'm not sure what you mean by your statement above.

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at December 16, 2006 01:22 PM

We're stuck with the firt - Pakistan - because they have nukes and a large radical Islamicist movement that we cannot gaining control of them, but in most, if not all, of the countries that you mentioned, US pressure for liberalization and democracy has been applied, resulting in the firt elections ever in several of them. I'm also happy to note that such pressure inspired the Cedar revoluton in Lbanon, the Orange revolution in Georgia, and Qadaffi to giv up Libya's nuke program...and the list of US allies that you mention does not include the worst global offenders, such as North Korea, Iran, Syria, Somalia, the Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc.

Posted by: Salamantis at December 17, 2006 04:39 AM

Other US non-friends: Cuba, Myanmar(Burma), Venezuela, Belarus.

Posted by: Salamantis at December 17, 2006 08:17 AM

US pressure for liberalization and democracy has been applied, resulting in the firt elections ever in several of them.

I hope you aren't referring to those terrible mock elections in Egypt. And if not, which elections are you referring to?

I'm also happy to note that such pressure inspired the Cedar revoluton in Lbanon, the Orange revolution in Georgia, and Qadaffi to giv up Libya's nuke program...

What relevance do these three situations have to your assertion that the US no longer supports dictatorships?

..and the list of US allies that you mention does not include the worst global offenders,

Why would it? The list isn't a cataloging of global dictatorships, it was listed in counterpoint to your assertion that the US doesn't support dictatorships. It quite clearly does, so I don't understand the point you were trying to make.

Posted by: double-plus-ungood at December 17, 2006 09:28 AM

Salamantis:

"most bastards"

"has attempted to inject a principled morality"

DPU:

"...your assertion that the US doesn't support dictatorships."

You say this twice in one post. Sal doesn't say that at all. Or, find the quote.

Great command of nuance you got there, DPU. Way to establish intellectual and moral superiority. Anything that isn't perfect is crap. Why even try if you cannot be 100% successful?

Gee, I wonder why you never have any ideas yourself? Something about hoisting...petards...

Posted by: nichevo at December 21, 2006 10:52 AM

acrobat
ad aware
adulte
amateur
amateur
anal
antivirus
antivirus gratuit
anus
ares
asian
asiatique
ass
astuce
auto
avatar
avatars
baise
bebe
beurette
bikini
bikini
bisexuel
bite
black
blague
blagues
blonde
boob
brune
carte
carte
carte
cartes
cartes
cartes
celebrite
chaleur
chanson gratuit
chansons gratuit
charme
chat gratuit
cheat
cinema
clip gratuit
clitoris
clone
cochon
code jeu
coquin
couille
couple
cul
cul gratuit
diaporama
diaporamas
divx
divx gratuit
download
ecran de veille
ecran de veille gratuit
ecrans de veille
edonkey
emoticone
emoticone gratuit
emoticones
emule
emule gratuit
enculer
enfant
erotique
erotiques
erotisme
etudiante
exhibitionniste
f rallye
familiale
famille
fellation
femme
femme
fesse
fetiche
fetichisme
film
film
film gratuit
film porno gratuit
films
film x gratuit
firefox
fond d ecran
fond d ecran gratuit
fonds d ecran
football
gay
gay gratuit
girl
golf
gratuit
gratuit
gratuit
gratuite
gratuite
gratuite
gros
grosse
gros sein gratuit
hard
hardcore
hentai gratuit
histoire
homosexuel
horoscope
horoscope gratuit
horoscopes
hot
humour
icone
icq
illusion
image
image
image humour
jeu
jeu
jeu adulte gratuit
jeu de voiture gratuit
jeu enfant gratuit
jeu gratuit
jeu gratuit cadeaux
jeune
jeu pc gratuit
jeu video gratuit
jeux
jeux
kazaa
kazaa gratuit
latinas
lesbian
lesbienne
limewire
lingerie
logiciel
logiciel
logiciel gratuit
logiciels
logiciels
logiciels gratuit
manga
massage
mature
messenger
messenger gratuit
models
morpheus
movie
mp3 gratuit
msn
msn gratuit
mure
music gratuite
musique gratuite
musiques gratuites
nero
nero gratuit
noire
nu
nude
nudiste
orgasme
orgie
parole gratuit
paroles gratuit
partition
partitions
penis
photo
photo
photo gay gratuit
photo porno gratuit
photo sexe gratuit
photo sex gratuit
pied
pipe
poitrine
porn
porn gratuit
porno
porno
pornographie
porno gratuit
pps ppt
programme
pussy
sex gratuit beurette
sudoku gratuit
spybot
rasee
safari
shareaza
sexe amateur gratuit
real player
skype
tarot gratuit
sms gratuit
sado
sodomie
solution jeu
rousse
suce
sexuelle
sex gratuit
suceuse
sportive
tarot
tatouage
tatouages
soluce
sexe gratuit
sport
teen
telechargement
telechargement
salope
sex
sex
spectacle
sexe
sexe
tele
sexy
recette
recettes
telechargement antivirus
telechargement chanson
telechargement chansons
telechargement divx
telechargement emule
telechargement film
telechargement film gratuit
telechargement gratuit
telechargement kazaa
telechargement logiciel
telechargement logiciel gratuit
telechargement logiciels
telechargement messenger
telechargement movie
telechargement mp3
telechargement msn
telechargement music
telechargement musique
telechargement nero
telechargement parole
telechargement paroles
telechargement porn
telechargement porno
telechargement sex
telechargement sexe
telechargement x
telechargement xxx
telecharger
telecharger
telecharger
telecharger antivirus
telecharger antivirus
telecharger chanson
telecharger chansons
telecharger divx
telecharger emule
telecharger film
telecharger gratuit
telecharger jeu gratuit
telecharger kazaat
telecharger logicielt
telecharger logicielst
telecharger messengert
telecharger moviet
telecharger mp3
telecharger msnt
telecharger musict
telecharger musiquet
telecharger nerot
telecharger parolet
telecharger parolest
telecharger pornt
telecharger pornot
telecharger sext
telecharger sexet
telecharger xt
telecharger xxxt
televisiont
tennist
titt
toont
tourismet
touristiquet
tout gratuitt
traducteur gratuitt
transsexuellet
truct
tuningt
tvt
vacancest
videot
videot
video gratuitt
video pornot
video pornot
video porno gratuitt
videost
videos
videos comiques
video sexe gratuit
video sex gratuit
video x gratuit
vlc
voiture
voyage
voyager
voyeur
wallpaper
webcam
winamp
winmx
winrar
winzip
x
x
x gratuit
xxx
xxx gratuit
yoga