Reuters: Lawmaker pleads with Rice to engage Syria

[Eugene]

Lawmaker pleads with Rice to engage Syria

16 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A veteran Republican congressman pleaded on Friday for the
United States to talk to Syria about easing the violence in Iraq and proposed former
Secretary of State George Shultz as an envoy.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who regards the 86-year-old Shultz as a
mentor, said she would consider the idea but repeated the Bush administration view
that such talks would not be fruitful.

"I plead with you, I beg with you, if we're going to ask a young man or woman in our
military to go to Iraq three different times, it's not asking too much for the
administration to send somebody to engage with ... the Syrians," U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf
of Virginia told Rice at a hearing.

"I know it's unorthodox but knowing of your high respect for former Secretary Shultz,
let former Secretary Shultz go out as your envoy," added Wolf, who is the top Republican
on the House subcommittee that oversees the U.S. foreign aid budget.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070216/pl_nm/usa_syria_shultz_dc_1

[Judi Lynn]

1. How novel! A Republican making perfectly good sense!

This maturity, and judgement from a man from the party of _{George W. Bush} and company is completely unexpected. Is it an omen? From the article:

"We should engage diplomatically and if it doesn't succeed, let the world see that Assad didn't engage," he said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

He also looks far more like a well-balanced human being than most of them!

[youngdem]

2. Oh, they're gonna engage them alright....PNAC plan calls for it

Just, well, not diplomatic engagement.

But, engagement nonetheless.

After Iran, they will try to piss off Syria and start something before the Chimp leaves office.

[Demeter]

3. Didn't Know Schultz Was Still Alive; Must Have Got a New Client!

He should have spoken up a LOOONG time ago, like during the theft of the 2000 election and subsequently.....