Although I do believe that there needs to be communication with Syria, I have to agree on this one. Congress has no business meeting with the leaders of other countries.
Planned Visit to Syria by Pelosi Is Under Fire From White House
Published: March 31, 2007
WASHINGTON, March 30 — A planned visit to Syria next week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi drew criticism on Friday from the White House, which accused the Democratic Congressional leader of failing to heed the administration’s admonitions against travel to Damascus.
Ms. Pelosi is leading a bipartisan delegation on a weeklong tour of the Middle East that is scheduled to include a meeting with Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad.
The Bush administration has resisted significant contact with the Syrian government, accusing it of meddling in Lebanon, supporting terrorism and being unhelpful on Iraq.
“We don’t think it’s a good idea,” said the White House deputy press secretary, Dana Perino, of the Congressional visit. “We think that someone should take a step back and think about the message that it sends.”
As the House started a spring break on Friday, Ms. Pelosi and six members of Congress began a trip to Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. While the United States government has engaged in tentative contact with Syrian officials recently, Ms. Pelosi is the highest-level American official to travel to Syria in years.
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Visit to Syria by Pelosi Is Under Fire
Moderator: Super Moderators
Visit to Syria by Pelosi Is Under Fire
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Looks like Syria is a popular place, I wonder why no one in the Whitehouse mentioned there were Republicans meeting the Syrian President this week as well 
I agree Jim, too many hands in the pot. I can't even imagine, the different conversations that are being had. This kinda of stuff makes us look ridiculous.
Syrian president meets U.S. lawmakers
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday met with three visiting U.S. lawmakers on regional issues, the official SANA news agency reported.
Assad exchanged views with the lawmakers on the general situation in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, SANA said, without giving further details.
The lawmakers, Frank Wolf, Joe Beats, and Robert Adrholt, are all Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives.
The visit came before a trip to Damascus by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who is expected to lead a delegation of members of Congress and arrive in Damascus on Tuesday.
The bipartisan Iraq Study Group has urged the Bush administration to engage in talks with Syria and Iran over Iraq. However, the Bush administration has largely ignored the suggestion.
Washington has been accusing Syria of supporting terrorism and doing insufficient to stop militants and weapons from infiltrating into neighboring Iraq and destabilize situation there.
http://english.people.com.cn/200704/02/ ... 62923.html
I agree Jim, too many hands in the pot. I can't even imagine, the different conversations that are being had. This kinda of stuff makes us look ridiculous. Syrian president meets U.S. lawmakers
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday met with three visiting U.S. lawmakers on regional issues, the official SANA news agency reported.
Assad exchanged views with the lawmakers on the general situation in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, SANA said, without giving further details.
The lawmakers, Frank Wolf, Joe Beats, and Robert Adrholt, are all Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives.
The visit came before a trip to Damascus by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who is expected to lead a delegation of members of Congress and arrive in Damascus on Tuesday.
The bipartisan Iraq Study Group has urged the Bush administration to engage in talks with Syria and Iran over Iraq. However, the Bush administration has largely ignored the suggestion.
Washington has been accusing Syria of supporting terrorism and doing insufficient to stop militants and weapons from infiltrating into neighboring Iraq and destabilize situation there.
http://english.people.com.cn/200704/02/ ... 62923.html
Well, my feeling is... ANYTHING that stalls or prevents any new problems in the Middle East, and helps to resolve some of the lingering ones, is worth the effort. Our President certainly isn't going to make the effort... We elected the Democrats to do our bidding, so let's hope they can do what has been undone.
Pelosi meets Syrian president
She said she brought a message to Assad from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that Israel was ready for peace talks with Syria. Assad gave assurances that "he's ready to engage in negotiations for peace with Israel," Pelosi said. She later left Syria, heading for Saudi Arabia, the next leg of a Mideast tour.
At a meeting Sunday, Olmert asked Pelosi to take a message to Assad that Israel would be interested in peace if Syria stops its support for terrorism. Assad has repeatedly said in the past year that Damascus is willing to negotiate with Israel, insisting the talks must lead to the return of the Golan Heights, seized by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War.
Barbie wrote: Well, my feeling is... ANYTHING that stalls or prevents any new problems in the Middle East, and helps to resolve some of the lingering ones, is worth the effort. Our President certainly isn't going to make the effort... We elected the Democrats to do our bidding, so let's hope they can do what has been undone.
I agree!
Like it or not, Pelosi, as Speaker of the House, is THIRD in line for the presidency. In that light, she has MUCH more reason (and right) to visit Syria than these three jokers mentioned here. But no one ragged on THEM for going there. IMO, Pelosi gets targeted BECAUSE she is a Democrat, AND BECAUSE she is an "uppity woman." Boehner (Boner), the idiot, even went so far as to suggest yesterday that she wasn't staying "in her place." I assume that on the surface he meant that her "place" is in the House, but there is a subtext here that rings loud and clear. Partisan issues aside, would he have couched his comments in such terms were he speaking of a male Speaker of the House? I think not.SETIsLady wrote: The lawmakers, Frank Wolf, Joe Beats, and Robert Adrholt, are all Republicans from the U.S. House of Representatives.
The visit came before a trip to Damascus by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who is expected to lead a delegation of members of Congress and arrive in Damascus on Tuesday.
Anchors Aweigh!Yeah, that's it, they're mad at her because she's an "uppity woman." How ironic.
http://www.reformsyria.org/index.php?op ... &Itemid=66
Has Pelosi Gone Bonkers?
Farid Ghadry
Apr 04, 2007 at 07:23 AM
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was seen roaming the streets of Damascus flaunting a Hijab. The Hijab worn by women across the Muslim world has come to symbolize either one of three things: 1) a symbol that men control women by forcing piety, or 2) a return to religiosity because of oppressive rulers, or 3) a fashion statement. If you ask any expert on the Middle East, you would get any one of three answers. The ones who usually claim it is a fashion statement are the political rulers who usually oppress people in general. A Hijab is NOT a confirmation of the rights of women in the Middle East but rather a symbol of their suppression.
As a Muslim, I fully understand respect of our religion by visiting US officials and I applaud that respect. Had Speaker Pelosi worn the Hijab inside a Mosque, this would have indicated respect but for Pelosi to wear it on the streets of Damascus all the while she is sitting with the self-imposed Baschar al-Assad who has come to symbolize oppression and one of the reasons why women are forced to wear the Hijab as they turn to religion to express their freedom is a statement of submittal not only to oppression but also to lack of women's rights in the Middle East. Pelosi just reversed the work of the Syrian civil society and those who aspire for women's freedom in the Muslim countries many years back with her visual statement. Her lack of experience of the Middle East is showing.
Assad could not have been happier because Syrian women, seeing a US official confirming what their husbands, the Imams in the Mosques tell them, and the society at large imposes on them through peer pressure will see in her wearing a Hijab as a confirmation of the societal pressures they are constantly under. No one will ever know how many women took the Hijab on after seeing Pelosi wearing it. The damage Speaker Pelosi is causing with her visit to Syria will be felt for many years to come.
http://www.reformsyria.org/index.php?op ... &Itemid=66
Has Pelosi Gone Bonkers?
Farid Ghadry
Apr 04, 2007 at 07:23 AM
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was seen roaming the streets of Damascus flaunting a Hijab. The Hijab worn by women across the Muslim world has come to symbolize either one of three things: 1) a symbol that men control women by forcing piety, or 2) a return to religiosity because of oppressive rulers, or 3) a fashion statement. If you ask any expert on the Middle East, you would get any one of three answers. The ones who usually claim it is a fashion statement are the political rulers who usually oppress people in general. A Hijab is NOT a confirmation of the rights of women in the Middle East but rather a symbol of their suppression.
As a Muslim, I fully understand respect of our religion by visiting US officials and I applaud that respect. Had Speaker Pelosi worn the Hijab inside a Mosque, this would have indicated respect but for Pelosi to wear it on the streets of Damascus all the while she is sitting with the self-imposed Baschar al-Assad who has come to symbolize oppression and one of the reasons why women are forced to wear the Hijab as they turn to religion to express their freedom is a statement of submittal not only to oppression but also to lack of women's rights in the Middle East. Pelosi just reversed the work of the Syrian civil society and those who aspire for women's freedom in the Muslim countries many years back with her visual statement. Her lack of experience of the Middle East is showing.
Assad could not have been happier because Syrian women, seeing a US official confirming what their husbands, the Imams in the Mosques tell them, and the society at large imposes on them through peer pressure will see in her wearing a Hijab as a confirmation of the societal pressures they are constantly under. No one will ever know how many women took the Hijab on after seeing Pelosi wearing it. The damage Speaker Pelosi is causing with her visit to Syria will be felt for many years to come.
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Raggedyann
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HB3 wrote: Yeah, that's it, they're mad at her because she's an "uppity woman." How ironic.
http://www.reformsyria.org/index.php?op ... &Itemid=66
Has Pelosi Gone Bonkers?
Farid Ghadry
Apr 04, 2007 at 07:23 AM
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was seen roaming the streets of Damascus flaunting a Hijab. The Hijab worn by women across the Muslim world has come to symbolize either one of three things: 1) a symbol that men control women by forcing piety, or 2) a return to religiosity because of oppressive rulers, or 3) a fashion statement. If you ask any expert on the Middle East, you would get any one of three answers. The ones who usually claim it is a fashion statement are the political rulers who usually oppress people in general. A Hijab is NOT a confirmation of the rights of women in the Middle East but rather a symbol of their suppression.
As a Muslim, I fully understand respect of our religion by visiting US officials and I applaud that respect. Had Speaker Pelosi worn the Hijab inside a Mosque, this would have indicated respect but for Pelosi to wear it on the streets of Damascus all the while she is sitting with the self-imposed Baschar al-Assad who has come to symbolize oppression and one of the reasons why women are forced to wear the Hijab as they turn to religion to express their freedom is a statement of submittal not only to oppression but also to lack of women's rights in the Middle East. Pelosi just reversed the work of the Syrian civil society and those who aspire for women's freedom in the Muslim countries many years back with her visual statement. Her lack of experience of the Middle East is showing.
Assad could not have been happier because Syrian women, seeing a US official confirming what their husbands, the Imams in the Mosques tell them, and the society at large imposes on them through peer pressure will see in her wearing a Hijab as a confirmation of the societal pressures they are constantly under. No one will ever know how many women took the Hijab on after seeing Pelosi wearing it. The damage Speaker Pelosi is causing with her visit to Syria will be felt for many years to come.
In peaceful times I would agree. Albeit, these are not peaceful times and we are in a constant state war. Diplomacy is critical at this juncture. If Pelosi is to try to mend the damage that has been done between the west and the middle east, the last thing she needs to be doing right now is making a statement regarding women's rights. There are far more important things on her agenda, I would think! Like not bombing the crap out of another middle eastern country and killing the women, men and children who live there who have no control! And I say this as a full supporter for improving equality for women across the world.
Her wisdom as a diplomatic female politician is showing. How refreshing after what we've all been put through this last 6 years!
Last edited by Raggedyann on 04-04-2007 10:24 PM, edited 1 time in total.
The source for the article posted by HB3 Farid Ghadry , has been bought and paid for by the Bush Administration, in bed with Jack Abramoff, the list goes on. Pure right wing propaganda. He is so tight with the Whitehouse that his office is right next to it.
More background Farid Ghadry.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?ti ... _N._Ghadry
Much more information on Google about this "character" as well.
RaggadyAnn, it wasn't Syria that was saying they had a problem with her being there it was the Republicans here, that did.
More background Farid Ghadry.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?ti ... _N._Ghadry
Much more information on Google about this "character" as well.
RaggadyAnn, it wasn't Syria that was saying they had a problem with her being there it was the Republicans here, that did.