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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 01:26 04/04/2007
Bush calls Nancy Pelosi's Syria visit 'counterproductive'
By The Associated Press

President George W. Bush voiced displeasure on Tuesday with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria, calling it counterproductive and saying it sends mixed signals to the government of President Bashar Assad.

Pelosi arrived in Syria on Tuesday afternoon, leading a Congressional delegation on the last leg of a Middle Eastern trip.

"We have made it clear to high-ranking officials, whether they be Republicans or Democrats, that going to Syria sends mixed signals," Bush said to reporters at the White House.
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"A lot of people have gone to see President Assad... and yet we haven't seen action. He hasn't responded," Bush told reporters at a Rose Garden news conference.

He said Assad had not reined in violent elements of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah as sought by the international community and had acted to destabilize the democratically elected government of Lebanon.

"Sending delegations doesn't work. It's simply been counterproductive," Bush said.

"So the position of this administration is that the best way to meet with a leader like Assad or people from Syria is in the larger context of trying to get the global community to help change his behavior," he said.

Pelosi, who was met at Damascus airport by Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, is the highest-ranking American politician to visit Syria since relations began to deteriorate in 2003. She is scheduled to meet with Assad on Wednesday.

Earlier Tuesday, media in the Palestinian territories boycotted a meeting Tuesday between Pelosi and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as part of a wider protest against the Palestinian government's inability to free a kidnapped BBC journalist.

Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, is on a Mideast tour with a delegation of lawmakers, including the first Muslim member of Congress, Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota.

But her meeting with Abbas coincided with the strike journalists called in solidarity with 44-year-old Alan Johnston of the British Broadcasting Corp., who was kidnapped in the Gaza Strip on March 12.

Johnston is the longest-held reporter ever abducted in Gaza. There has been no word on his whereabouts or condition, and no demands have been issued.

"We are very concerned for the fate of our colleague," said Naim Tubasi, head of the Palestinian journalists union.

Eleven journalists have been kidnapped in Gaza over the past three years.

All were released unharmed, most within days of capture. Kidnappers, who usually take hostages to settle scores or demand jobs, are rarely punished, however, which journalists say has encouraged the practice.

Many suspect that members of a powerful Gaza clan took Johnston. But efforts to free him have made little progress.

Pelosi's trip includes stops in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

On Monday, Pelosi shrugged off White House criticism of her coming trip to Damascus, saying she had great hope for reviving relations with Syria and changing its behavior.

Speaking hours after arriving in Lebanon, Pelosi indicated President George W. Bush's administration was singling out her trip to Syria, but ignoring that of other members of Congress.

"It's interesting because three of our colleagues, who are all Republicans, were in Syria yesterday and I didn't hear the White House speaking out about that," Pelosi said, referring to the Sunday meeting of congressmen Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt with Assad in Damascus.

"I think that it was an excellent idea for them to go," said Pelosi, who is due to meet the Syrian leadership on Wednesday. "And I think it's an excellent idea for us to go as well."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Monday stressed that the Bush administration objects to all visits to Syria.

"We ask that people not go on these trips," Perino said in Washington. "We discourage it. Full stop."

The United States has poor relations with Syria, accusing it of interfering in Iraq and Lebanon and sponsoring terrorists - charges that Damascus denies.

Perino last week described Pelosi's visit to Syria as a really bad idea.

Later Monday, the U.S. State Department disclosed that the Bush administration briefed Pelosi for her trip while publicly criticizing her decision.

Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the briefing did not represent an endorsement of the visit and denied that she carried any message from the Bush government.

"No messages in the sense that this was a trip that was encouraged by the executive branch of the government," McCormack said.

Last year a bipartisan commission known as the Iraq Study Group recommended that the United States launch a new diplomatic initiative with Syria and Iran.

The Bush administration has rejected this but did participate in a March 10 international conference in Baghdad that also included representatives from Iran and Syria.

Perino said the Bush administration believes Syria knows what it needs to do and it sends the wrong message to have high-level U.S. officials going there to have photo opportunities that Assad then exploits.

But Pelosi said she thinks it's a good idea to establish facts, to hopefully build the confidence between the U.S. and Syria.

"We have no illusions, but we have great hope," she said.

In Damascus, a state-run newspaper welcomed Pelosi's visit on Monday, saying that through dialogue a lot of misunderstandings (with the United States) could be removed.

Pelosi, who is leading a congressional delegation on a fact-finding tour of the Middle East, said she would speak to the Syrians about Iraq, their role in the fight against terrorism, their support for militant groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas - whose exiled leaders live in Damascus - as well their role in Lebanon.

Washington has accused Damascus of not doing enough to stop militants from crossing the Syrian-Iraqi border to join the Iraqi insurgency.

A member of the delegation, Tom Lantos, a Democratic representative from California, said the group had no illusions about their visit to Damascus.

"We are going with the clear intention of making our position crystal clear to the Syrian leadership, basically indicating that it is in their interest to return to a position where they can be part of the positive forces in this region and not be in tight alliance with Ahmedinejad's Iran," Lantos said, referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
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  1.   Without Daddy 17:55  |  Sleepless 02/04/07
  2.   My Pelosi Page One `dream story` 18:24  |  Chick Corea 02/04/07
  3.   wow.. #1 sleepless... 20:36  |  tarek Ayas 02/04/07
  4.   Deep Divisions in Our Country Too but No Bombs 20:49  |  Jane 02/04/07
  5.   #2, Chick Corea 20:58  |  David 02/04/07
  6.   Pelosi, the Godmother 21:21  |  Aaron 02/04/07
  7.   Nancy Pelosi: The terrorist best friend 21:43  |  Al Mathes 02/04/07
  8.   Rafik Hariri - Martyr 22:43  |  Garba Maigoro 02/04/07
  9.   4 Jane - Not the Vietnam Years Yet 22:46  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/04/07
  10.   7 Al Mathis - 6 Years 22:53  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/04/07
  11.   # 2 "dream story" con`t....... 00:15  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  12.   # 9 Mark of Lewiston 00:18  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  13.   #7Al Mathes. 00:27  |  Maureen Ann 03/04/07
  14.   SORRY ISREAL 01:23  |  Kevin 03/04/07
  15.   For # 7 - Al.....Pelosi Muslims` Best Friend 01:34  |  chet 03/04/07
  16.   12 - Lynn - The Good Ol` Days 01:39  |  Mark of Lewiston 03/04/07
  17.   PELOSI SHOULD BE TRIED FOR TREASONTREASON 02:06  |  SHEPHERD 03/04/07
  18.   For # 17 Shepherd - Republican Successes 02:43  |  chet 03/04/07
  19.   Pelosi at least talking 03:05  |  KT 03/04/07
  20.   #17 Sheperd 03:23  |  Labhras 03/04/07
  21.   #7 al mathes 04:02  |  Obrian 03/04/07
  22.   Pelosi is my hero 04:51  |  Democratic American 03/04/07
  23.   About time 04:51  |  Matt 03/04/07
  24.   Mark of Lewiston 05:22  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  25.   # 19 KT 05:24  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  26.   Maureen Ann 05:26  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  27.   # 22 Boring Leftist jackass 05:51  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  28.   re #7 `Nancy Pelosi the terrorist best friend` 08:58  |  Colin Wright 03/04/07
  29.   #17 Hey Shepherd; the shit already 10:39  |  ballistic 03/04/07
  30.   PELOSI ALSO SAYS SHE CAN GET WATER FROM A STONE 12:03  |  B`Galil 03/04/07
  31.   pelosi wants to leave the me 12:30  |  Josh 03/04/07
  32.   Lynn is down to foul language 13:21  |  Democratic American 03/04/07
  33.   democrats in america 16:05  |  Josh 03/04/07
  34.   Pelosi`s Syria visit don`t mean... 17:07  |  Ironcandle 03/04/07
  35.   US Women of Power Comming to the Mid-East 17:46  |  Bash`em 03/04/07
  36.   PELOSI `s big head 17:53  |  ray 03/04/07
  37.   Who is responsible for foreign policy 17:57  |  TMH 03/04/07
  38.   # 32 What foul language? 18:02  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  39.   # 32 BTW, Pelosi is my hero 18:04  |  Lynn 03/04/07
  40.   Might get in the way of the planned war 18:19  |  Mark Lincoln 03/04/07
  41.   #30 Bgalil 18:23  |  Labhras 03/04/07
  42.   USA is Israels ally...no matter who is in office 18:38  |  The Equalizer 03/04/07
  43.   is BUSH productive? 18:44  |  higgs 03/04/07
  44.   #39 18:57  |  TMH 03/04/07
  45.   Well he would wouldn`t he 18:57  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/04/07
  46.   Good ole Nancy 19:16  |  Clickfool 03/04/07
  47.   things that make me go hmmm 19:22  |  reason 03/04/07
  48.   Democrats 19:23  |  paul 03/04/07
  49.   Bush will be gone Jan 21 2009 - Pelosi should be engaged 19:28  |  Pablo B 03/04/07
  50.   Clickfool #46 19:44  |  Theodor 03/04/07
  51.   Lynn #27 Second Amendment 19:46  |  Sharonelle 03/04/07
  52.   What a big ego she must have! 19:58  |  Nechama 03/04/07
  53.   Downside of talking: It may avoid war 20:07  |  Tim 03/04/07
  54.   Lynn 20:14  |  KT 03/04/07
  55.   To American posters 20:17  |  KT 03/04/07
  56.   #48 Nechama 20:17  |  Christ Linthwaite 03/04/07
  57.   For Theodor # 50 21:10  |  Clickfool 03/04/07
  58.   Syria 21:31  |  P. J. Casey 03/04/07
  59.   Not a big ego, Nechama # 52 21:39  |  Clickfool 03/04/07
  60.   Seriously, americans are making themselves looks like clowns 21:42  |  fatah supporter 03/04/07
  61.   wrong, #56 linthwaite; pelosi is grandstanding 21:48  |  Theodor 03/04/07
  62.   Talk is good 21:55  |  Dave 03/04/07
  63.   Clickfool you sound like a broken record 21:56  |  Jake 03/04/07
  64.   #25 Hey Lynn, glad you pointed out that Repub senators 22:03  |  ballistic 03/04/07
  65.   I would bet Bush would say that! 22:03  |  Mario Fiorito 03/04/07
  66.   Clickfool #57 22:05  |  Theodor 03/04/07
  67.   European jews bring choas to middle east 22:30  |  fatah supporter 03/04/07
  68.   # 64 ballistic 22:37  |  Lynn 03/04/07