Posted by
EVB on Thursday, December 21, 2006 8:57:13 PM
“The Kerry – Assad Mutual Admiration Society or
There Is No Such Thing as a Bad Dictator”
According to the Associated Press, “Senator John F. Kerry emerged from his meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad even more resolute in his beliefs the U.S. must begin talks with Damascus as it seeks a solution to the turmoil in Iraq.” As televisions church lady might say, “How special!”
“I feel quite confident in saying this was a conversation worth having and that the (Bush) administration ought to pursue it," Kerry said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Jerusalem, where he traveled after meeting with Assad in Syria. "I feel very strongly about that. ... It's worth following up on a number of avenues."
Kerry said he was impressed by the fact that during the entire two hour meeting with Assad “he never once made any overt comments or engaged in any actions that would be considered harmful to either Lebanon or Iraq.” Asked what significance this fact had, Kerry said “What’s your point?”
Trying to clarify his question the reporter asked does this mean we can control Assad if we “just stay in the same room with him 24 hours a day?”
“Look,” Kerry said, “for two whole hours we saw this man refrain from ordering intervention in Lebanon’s political turmoil, or dispatching assassins to kill Lebanese politicians and we certainly didn’t see him supply any money, or weapons to insurgents crossing over into Iraq”
Kerry asked, “If this man were truly our enemy would he be able to control himself so completely for over two hours?” He implied the Bush administration was the only thing obstacle between peace and tranquility between Iraq and Syria.
"We explored the whys and wherefores of a number of the choices he's been making," said Kerry of the Assad meeting. “He’s a good boy, and if Dubya would only open negotiations with Syria, this whole mess could begin to wind down.”
Reporters left the press conference with Senator Kerry and went immediately to interview Syrian President Bashar Assad. They asked him about the Kerry meeting. Through his interpreter Assad said, “he seems like a nice man, though a little ponderous. I did tell him I liked him in the Addams Family.”