Kerry Urges Dialogue With Iran, Syria

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry Urges Dialogue With Iran, Syria
December 14th, 2006 @ 10:55 pm

On Wednesday, John Kerry left the U.S. for a nine-day trip to the Middle East. Kerry’s trip includes a stop in Iraq, and a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While in Egypt on Thursday, Kerry said that the Bush administration should talk to Syria and Iran.

Kerry also told reporters in Cairo he believed U.S. policy in the Middle East was in trouble, partly because the United States had failed to listen to people in the region.

He cited Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s advice in 2002 that a U.S. invasion of Iraq would lead to disaster. “Frankly, more people should have listened to him,” he said after talks with Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif.



“It’s very important for countries to talk to each other, even when you disagree. We have serious differences with Syria right now, we have serious differencess with Iran, but you can’t begin to resolve those differences if you’re not willing to try to understand.. I think it’s important to begin a discussion,” said Kerry, a Massachusetts senator.

The Bush administration has rejected calls to hold talks with Syria and Iran and on Wednesday, Democratic senator Bill Nelson of Florida caught the ire of the Bush administration when he met with Syrian President Assad in Damascus. Nelson said he saw an opening for dialogue with Syria.

President George W. Bush issued a statement on Wednesday “calling on Syria to “immediately free all political prisoners” and “cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty”.”

{SNIP}

Because really, “even the most powerful nation on the face of the earth needs to make some friends on this planet.”

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4955#more-4955

[Mythsaje]

1. Oh, really?

Shrub said THIS? "President George W. Bush issued a statement on Wednesday “calling on Syria to “immediately free all political prisoners” and “cease its efforts to undermine Lebanese sovereignty”.”


So when is HE going to release all HIS political prisoners? And since when was HE such a huge supporter of anyone's sovereignity?

The mind boggles.

[blm]

3. Brave boy - daring to question the dictatortot's integrity? ;)

Didn't David Gergen tell us often enough that Bushboy's character was 'sterling' and 'everyone' knows so?

[karynnj]

2. JohnKerry.com has a new interesting blog post on this

http://blog.johnkerry.com/2006/12/a_middle_east_tour.html#more

The post has an analysis that puts the meetings of Nelson, Dodd, and Kerry into context.

[ProSense]

4. In Bush's world, talking is dangerous, launching an illegal invasion is safe

But Kerry said: "That's a mistake... It is nonsensical to set up not talking as some kind of reward/punishment barrier. I think we are shortchanging ourselves in that process."

[karynnj]

5. Isn't that a great observation of Kerry's