White House stalls on date for Rice Middle East mission

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060718/pl_afp/mideastconflictus_060718175119

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House stalled on naming a date for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's Middle East mission but denied it was standing back to permit Israel to neutralize Hezbollah.

President George W. Bush's spokesman Tony Snow also rejected claims Washington was unlikely to make progress towards ending the crisis due to reluctance to talk to Syria and Iran, which it accuses of backing the militia.

Snow said that the timing of Rice's visit to the Middle East, confirmed by the State Department on Monday, had yet to be worked out.

"The secretary's going to go, but she's not even sure when. I think I'm going to kick the can down the road a little bit," Snow said.

"When they figure out when they're going to do it, we'll be in a better position to announce precisely what it is she wants to do."

[High Plains]

1. Where is our peace and freedom-loving president? AWOL again?

[Benhurst]

2. Condoleezza (sic) is waiting for Beirut's Ferragamo to

have it's fire sale on boots.

[Julius Civitatus]

19. Just thought about the same thing: Condi's shoe mania

You can't expect her to go there without new Ferragamo's, can you?

[gratuitous]

3. Well, what's the big hurry anyway?

I mean, geez, it's not like they're going to be serving a roast pig or anything.

[Supersedeas]

4. as country's collide militarily -- Bush's boobs are playing kick the can

[liberal N proud]

5. It made headlines at the right time. Rice to mideast to promote peace

They most likely never intend on sending KindaSleazy.
They most assuredly never intend on promoting peace

[thereismore]

9. New nickname. KindaSleazy out, KindaLazy in. She should be there now.

[Bonhomme Richard]

6. They are going to wait until after the missle hits.....

the cruise ship full of americans.

[livetohike]

7. The reason she is not there now is because

this administration has no idea what to do. None. They have made a mess everywhere they go and have no one to clean it up.

Condi is supposedly a Russian "expert". She has no clue otherwise.

[thereismore]

8. She should have been there already. They are waiting for more catastrophy,

like they did with Katrina. Hurricane wasn't enough. Bombing of Beirut is not enough. They need that cruise ship bombed, full of Americans. I swear. Then and only then they can barge in like a drunken cowboy into a brawl.

[yellowcanine]

10. Condi is not there because no one has any confidence in her diplomatic

skills. With good reason. Every place she has gone she has made things worse, not better. Condi is a Cold War diplomat who knows nothing about how to operate in today's diplomatic climate of diffuse centers of power.

[displacedtexan]

11. Correct! Tony Blair said: "She has to accomplish something."

Remember the little conversation with the mic on?

The MSNBC crawl just now read: Rice wants a cease-fire.

Isn't that what * said Kofi Annan would want?

This whole administration is dooming us all.

[Spazito]

12. Whoa, doesn't this statement just scream competence and leadership!

"When they figure out when they're going to do it, we'll be in a better position to announce precisely what it is she wants to do."


The truth comes out inadvertently, we don't know what the hell to do and we don't know when we go BECAUSE we don't know what the hell to do.

[leftchick]

17. that whole tony bologna response was telling

they are letting it all happen on purpose.

[Spazito]

18. Yep, I agree, they are hoping the crisis will accomplish what they want

bring in Iran and Syria to allow them to act in "protection of Israel." What they don't know is how long they can hold off acting before it is more dangerous politically, ala midterms, to stall than to do something.

[goforit]

13. He can't have his sweetheart show up in such a dangerous area.

[Tellurian]

14. Condi knows theres a target painted on her back...n/t

[daleo]

15. First, they will read a Goat book

Then, have some cake.
Then, play a guitar.
Then, eat some bar-b-qued pig.
Then, who knows?...there's no urgency, just innocent civilians dying.
Same modus operandi as New Orleans and 911.

[Fozzledick]

16. Why doesn't Bush just tell Syria to tell Hezbollah to stop this shit?

[Norquist Nemesis]

20. Maybe she's trying to fit in a surprise visit to Iraq

while she's flitting around. :sarcasm:

Personally, I think the U.S. has ALOT of diplomatic groundwork to do before Condi can go over there and start getting kudos for her 'efforts'. Anyone know what James Baker's up to these days?

[LibDemAlways]

21. Has Condi even read her job description?

The Sec. of State is supposed to practice diplomacy abroad. Condi is no diplomat. She's a neocon warmonger.

I'll never forget the support she received in the confirmation process from the likes of Feinstein and Obama. Only 12 Dems plus Jeffords voted "nay" during the full Senate vote. The rest ought to all hang their heads in shame.