Pelosi Goes to Syria

Cal Thomas | Syndicated Columnist | Updated: Apr 24, 2007

Pelosi Goes to Syria

April 9, 2007

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the Middle East has been denounced, not only by Republicans, but by USA Today and the Washington Post. When the post attacks a top Democrat for poor judgment, you know it must be bad.

An April 5th Post editorial said Pelosi “Offered an excellent demonstration… of why members of Congress should not attempt to supplant the Secretary of State when traveling abroad.” The Post noted Pelosi erroneously told Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad she had brought a message from Israel’s Prime Minister that Israel is prepared to engage in peace talks.

Israel’s Prime Minister gave Pelosi no such message and Pelosi apparently fell for Assad’s propaganda which is familiar to anyone with experience in the Middle East.

Pelosi said, “We came in friendship, hope and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace.” The statement is ludicrous, said the Post. Any diplomat with knowledge of the region could have told (her) Assad is a corrupt thug, whose overriding priority at the moment is to head-off a UN charge he orchestrated the murder of the former Lebanese Prime Minister. Pelosi is an amateur and it showed.


Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.

Pelosi Goes to Syria