A visiting U.S. congressman held talks with President Bashar Assad
Thursday, a day after a congressional delegation headed by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sparked controversy by meeting the Syrian leader.

U.S. President George W. Bush has rejected direct talks with Damascus and criticized Pelosi for her visit.

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Commenting on Bush's criticism, California Republican Darrell Issa said the president had failed to promote the necessary dialogue to resolve disagreements between the U.S. and Syria.

"That's an important message to realize: We have tensions, but we have two functioning embassies," Issa told reporters after separate meetings with Assad and his foreign minister, Walid Moallem.

Issa, a Lebanese-American who frequently travels to the region, said he and other members of Congress would continue to encourage the Bush administration to engage Syria.

"I have no illusions. We have serious problems to be resolved but we will resolve them," he said.

Assad and Issa discussed the mechanisms and means that must be available to build a solid U.S.-Syrian relationship, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

Syrian Foreign Minister Moallem stressed Syria's keenness to talk to the U.S. and said the congressional visits helped to formulate a joint vision for finding solutions to the problems in the region, SANA reported.

Bush sharply criticized Pelosi for leading the delegation to meet Assad, a move he said was counterproductive because it eased the country's isolation. The White House, however, stayed relatively quiet about a similar trip just a few days earlier by a delegation of three congressmen from Bush's own party who also met with Syria's leaders.

Pelosi said the congressional visits were an excellent idea and said she was hopeful that Syrian-U.S. confidence could be restored through dialogue.

"I don't care what the administration says on this. You gotta do what you think is in the best interest of your country," said Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia, who was part of the delegation.

Report: Syria promised to mediate on soldiers' fate

Syrian officials promised visiting U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to assist in the mediation efforts between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah over the fate of captured Israel Defense Forces troops, the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Thursday.

According to the newspaper, the officials promised to "exert the maximum effort" in order to help the sides reach a prisoner exchange agreement.

It was also agreed that U.S Congressman Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia), himself of Lebanese descent, would act as a mediator on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday strongly denied that Israel relayed a message to Syria via Pelosi, accepting its calls to renew peace negotiations.

The bureau responded to questions raised Wednesday by a statement Pelosi made following her meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Pelosi said she had relayed a message from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, to the effect that Israel was ready for peace talks with Syria.

PMO denies change in Israeli policy
The Prime Minister's Office was quick to issue a denial, stating that "what was discussed with the House speaker did not include any change in Israel's policy, as it has been presented to international parties involved in the matter."

In a special statement of clarification, the bureau stressed that Olmert had told Pelosi that Israel continued to regard Syria as "part of the axis of evil and a party encouraging terrorism in the entire Middle East."

According to sources at the Prime Minister's Office, "Pelosi took part of the things that were said in the meeting, and used what suited her."

The same sources explained that the decision to issue a statement of denial stemmed from questions from Israeli and foreign press regarding a change in Israel's official stance on negotiations with Syria.

The California Democrat, who headed a bipartisan delegation on a tour of the region, including Syria, had come under strong criticism from U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush considers any high-level contacts with Syria as undermining the pressure on Damascus to cease support for terrorism and as undermining Lebanese sovereignty.

Pelosi's visit to Syria was the latest challenge to the White House by congressional Democrats, who are taking a more assertive role in influencing policy in the Middle East and the Iraq war.

The Prime Minister's Office said: "We have not intervened in the internal debate in the United States and we did not harm anyone. We simply announced what had taken place in the meeting [Olmert-Pelosi] on the basis of notes that are identical to those Pelosi has."

Pelosi met with Assad on Wednesday and said that the Syrian leader was willing to resume peace talks with Israel.

"We were very pleased with the assurances we received from the president that he was ready to resume the peace process. He's ready to engage in negotiations for peace with Israel," Pelosi said.

The House speaker also said that she and other members of her congressional delegation raised with Assad their concern about militants crossing from Syria into Iraq, as well as the Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah and Hamas.

The speaker said the delegation conveyed to Assad the importance of Syria's role with Hamas in promoting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

She did not reveal how Assad responded to the delegation's message on Hamas and Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Syrian sources on Wednesday expressed their uncertainty that Olmert's statements were credible.

Syrian Information Minister, Muhsen Bilal, told reporters in Damascus on Wednesday that Israel needs to prove its seriousness in peace.

"If Israel is really interested in renewing negotiations for peace, it must declare this in a clear manner," Bilal said.