Can Senators legally visit Syria?

[Onlooker]

Just out of curiosity, are people like Kerry and Nelson within their legal rights visiting Syria? Is there a law that permits politicians to visit enemy nations, like Syria, Cuba, North Korea, etc.? Regardless, I think it's great that they're trying to do what Bush is not capable of doing: engage in diplomacy.

[sandnsea]

1. He went last year

The only reason it's being criticized this year is because an awful lot of people don't want the American public to know Kerry is the one who has been right on Iraq all along.

"Kerry arrived in Amman, Jordan, yesterday and has planned a hectic itinerary, with stops scheduled in Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/01/04/kerrys_skills_on_display_in_mideast_trip/

[Onlooker]

2. Yeah, but I'm wondering if it's legal

Just curious, that's all.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. yes it's legal.

There are only a few countries that are illegal for tourist travel (for US citizens). Cuba. Probably North Korea. I don't know of any others.

I'm not exactly sure why we still avoid trade and travel with Cuba, given all our trade and travel agreements with Vietnam, China, Russia.

[bananas]

7. What's really weird is we have that huge military base on Cuba

[Kelly Rupert]

10. Indefinite lease, under a treaty secured

after the Spanish-American war and re-ratified in 1934. Since the US legally controls the territory, it is not considered to be on Cuban soil.

[karynnj]

12. It's noit only legal, but it's what he is supposed to do

He has used the information he gets in his job on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He spoke of going to these countries (in the past) when speaking to Dr Rice.

He was accompanied by the US ambassador in his meeting in each country - a State Deapartment person.

Senator Kerry would NOT break the law. Consider in the 80s he pursued the RW funders of the Contras who WERE BREAKING the law. In the 1970s, he argued against the US Breaking international law (the Geneva Convention). As a lawyer, he was happiest as a prosecutor enforcing the law. On many things - such as immigration - he has said that "the law has to mean something".

[hlthe2b]

3. Of course... You and I can go to Syria.. in fact my

cousin's stepdaughter did an extended foreign exchange study there just a couple of years ago.

Boy, the Bushies* sure have done a good job creating the DEMON Arab meme...Not meaning you, Onlooker, but Americans in general are nearly hopelessly ignorant of Muslims, Arab and non-Arab Muslim countries...

[karlrschneider]

4. Sure, we have functional reciprocal ambassadorships with them.

ks

[Sherman A1]

5. Precisely

We do have diplomatic relations with the country, so why not?

[bowens43]

8. Yes nt

[Kelly Rupert]

9. Yes.

We do not have full economic relations with those countries, so tourism is illegal. However, since we have diplomatic relations with them, politicians are allowed to visit for the purposes of diplomacy.

[cadmium]

11. The question I think is fact-finding and non-negotiation

diplomacy vs negotiations. The republican critics are trying to inaccurately say they are in violation of the Logan Act which prohibits private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments in a way that affects policy with the United States. They are perfectly within their rights to gather information and make diplomatic contacts.

Somebody else could probably describe this better than me but this is what I remember from the controversy regarding Jesse Jackson negotiating the release of hostages without sanction of the Reagan State Department in the 1980's.

[zbdent]

13. A better question should be

"If Iraq was our enemy all through the years since 1991, according to Repukes, then why was Dick Cheney and Halliburton doing business with Iraq? Repukes were disgusted with the French for having a stake in Iraqi oil ..."