PrintApril 12, 2007
Terror-sponsoring Syria takes comfort from Dems
Speaker Pelosi claimed that her trip to Syria would "establish facts, to hopefully build the confidence" between the U.S. and Syria.
Everyone in the Department of State, Defense, and CIA should take note of the ‘no-confidence vote' that the Speaker just registered with them regarding their ability to "establish facts". Apparently only Speaker Pelosi can do so.
Her trip to Syria appears to have indeed built the confidence of Syria as indicated in this article from the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency:
Washington, (SANA)- Democratic Member of the US. House of Representatives and Chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affaires Tom Lantos has underlined that Syria vehemently believes in the dialogue in its relations with the US and in dealing with the issues.In an interview on Tuesday, Lantos described the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Damascus as important to open dialogue channels with it as saying: "The visit expressed in a marvelous way interests of the US, that led to embarrassment of the current US administration which has closed doors for dialogue with Syria." [emphasis added]"President Bashar al-Assad strongly encourages the continuation of the Syrian-American dialogue," Lantos added.Lantos expressed desire to visit Damascus once more and that he will not comply with the policy of the US President George W. Bush regarding it.
That's right. Congressman Lantos appears to have bragged to Syrian media that he embarrassed the President of the United States (unless the article is a complete lie which I frankly hope so). Congressman Lantos then went on to defend the Syrian President and committed in no uncertain terms one of the most egregious acts of appeasement to a State Sponsor of Terror that our nation has ever witnessed.
The word treason floats to mind, although I never invoke it for politics and will not here, but this is getting close...very...close. At the very least the Democrat put himself into a position to be used as a propaganda tool by the Syrians.
Maybe we should help establish some facts about Syria for the Democratic leadership. According to the Department of State, Syria was declared a State Sponsor of Terror back in 1979 (under the Carter Administration) the oldest member of an exclusive club that was recently reduced by one member.
Of course, any Department of State data from 2001 on would be considered tainted to the liberal masses, so let's start at the data presented by the Clinton Administration. The 2000 State Department Report on the Patterns of Global Terrorism said:
Syria continued to provide safehaven and support to several terrorist groups, some of which maintained training camps or other facilities on Syrian territory....The Syrian Government allowed HAMAS to open a new main office in Damascus in March, although the arrangement may be temporary while HAMAS continues to seek permission to reestablish its headquarters in Jordan.
Syria was a state sponsor of Hamas according to the 2000 State Department report. Now that our liberal friends can't complain that President Bush made it up (but of course they will) here is an excerpt from the latest 2006 state report:
The Syrian Government continued to provide political and material support to both Hizballah and Palestinian terrorist groups. HAMAS, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), among others, base their external leadership in Damascus.
Syria supports Hamas still. Yet the 2006 report is a bit more generous to the Syrians than Clinton's version:
During the past seven years there have been no acts of terrorism against American citizens in Syria. Damascus has repeatedly assured the United States that it will take every possible measure to protect U.S. citizens and facilities in Syria.
In the past, Damascus cooperated with the United States and other foreign governments against al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations and individuals. In May, however, the Syrian Government ended intelligence cooperation, citing continued U.S. public complaints about the inadequate level of Syria's assistance to end the flow of fighters and money to Iraq.
The 2006 State report is even in its assessment citing some cooperation. But the bottom line is Syria still allows Islamic terrorists into Iraq and still provides a safehaven for former Saddam regime leaders who now lead the Sunni insurgency.
Perhaps the Speaker can explain why the Democrats are bashing the President to the Syrian government which sponsors Hamas that at the very least has the intent to kill US troops in Iraq. A captured memo from the Iraqi Intelligence Service shows that the Hamas leader, Khaled Mashal well known to operate in Damascus under the protection of the Syrian government was begging Saddam for permission to send Palestinian Islamic terrorists into Iraq to conduct suicide bombings against American troops. Our Democratic leadership just went to Syria to meet with that same government and then bragged to them about embarrassing the President of the United States.
On a side note, the memorandum also makes clear that Hamas had a liaison living in Baghdad where Hamas "students" were being trained. If you read the article Cheney is Absolutely Correct you might remember that I stated there are many Islamic terror groups whose leaders were Palestinians living in Kuwait before Saddam's invasion. These Palestinians were kicked out for collaborating with Saddam by the government of Kuwait upon its liberation. Mashal is yet another example of one of those Palestinians who just happened to leave Kuwait after collaborating with the Iraqi government and would soon become an Islamic terrorism mastermind. Wonder where he got the backing to rise to the leadership of Hamas so quickly?
Just as the Democratic leadership proclaimed after the Saddam regime was toppled that it didn't support Islamic terrorism, they now want to "establish facts" by showing that they trust the Syrian government more than our own President. While separating Syria from Iran would indeed be a brilliant strategic move and is a worthy goal, appeasement is not a price American's are willing to pay. Lantos should stay home and try harassing this country's enemies for a change.
