Bush slams Senator's visit to Syria

White House says visit to Damascus by Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, gave undue legitimacy to a regime that is obstructing democratization in Middle East

Yitzhak Benhorin and AP|Published: 12.15.06 , 07:07

WASHINGTON - The Bush Administration continues to signal that it is not taking seriously the Baker-Hamilton report.

Following a visit by Democratic Senator Bill Nelson to Syria two days ago, the American administration on Thursday gave unequivocal arguments for its refusal to hold direct talks with Damascus.

The White House was also not happy with the report's recommendations on Iraq and the Pentagon has already advised that the US boosts it troops in Iraq by 10 to 15 thousand soldiers.

While Bush weighs his strategy in Iraq, it is almost certain that he won't be following the report's recommendations for direct talks with Iran and Syria.

The Hamilton-Baker report recommended that Israel be encouraged to talk peace with Syria but in light of reports pointing to deteriorating human rights in the country Bush ratcheted up his anti-Syria rhetoric saying that the Syrian people deserve a government that "respects the law."

The White House said Thursday that Nelson's trip to Syria gave undue legitimacy to a government that is thwarting democratic reform in the Middle East.

Nelson emerged from a meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Wednesday, saying Assad was willing to help control the Iraq-Syrian border. The Florida Democrat said he viewed Assad's remarks as "a crack in the door for discussions to continue. I approach this with realism, not optimism."

White House press secretary Tony Snow said the trip by Nelson, a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, and future visits to Syria expected by Sens. John Kerry and Christopher Dodd, both Democrats, and Arlen Specter, a Republican, send an unhelpful, mixed message to the Syrians.

Bush: Policy towards Syria unchanged

"We want to make sure that they understand that just because they have visitors does not mean that the position of the United States government has changed," Snow said.

And he warned that the lawmakers could become ensnared in efforts by Damascus to burnish its image.

"It may cost some people their credibility," Snow said. "As I pointed out, Sen. Nelson went and thought that he'd gotten concessions out of Bashar Assad two years ago and he came back empty-handed. Apparently what he thought President Assad had promised to him was not something that actually was offered."

"The point is that even lending a further specter of legitimacy to that government undermines the cause of democracy in the region," Snow said about Nelson's trip.

Nelson's spokesman Dan McLaughlin called the remarks a "baseless attack" and said the White House was producing the "same old tired, mean-spirited partisan politics" that were unhelpful to the situation in Iraq. McLaughlin defended Nelson's trip as par for the course for a senator who sits on three oversight committees: Armed Services, Foreign Relations and Intelligence.

"In Syria, he met with a man he's met with twice before -- not to negotiate, which is the president's job, but to talk and gather facts and report back to Congress and the State Department," McLaughlin said. "Senators meet with heads of state all the time."

The United States has limited diplomatic ties with Syria because of its support of Hizbullah and Hamas, which the United States considers terrorist organizations. Bush expressed reluctance to seek help from Damascus on Iraq until the Syrian government curbs that support and reduces its influence in Lebanon.

"The Syrians should have absolutely no doubt that the position of the United States government is the same as it has been," Snow said.