George W. Bush was right about Syria and Obama, Pelosi, Kerry, and Clinton were all wrong

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bush-miss-me-yet

Bashar Al-Assad is what he is today thanks to democrats- specifically Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi.

assad and pelosi

George W. Bush has never been a fan of Assad. Bush had been trying to isolate Syria since 2005, believing it was up to nefarious activities but democrats knew better. In 2007 then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi undercut Bush’s foreign policy by paying a visit to Assad.

The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, delivered a powerful challenge to the Bush administration’s stewardship of American interests in the Middle East by breaking with its policy of isolating Syria and holding talks in Damascus with President Bashar Assad.

Yesterday’s visit defied warnings from President George Bush about sending “mixed signals” to Damascus, and was widely seen as a sign of growing determination from a Democratic Congress to have a hand in setting US foreign policy.

“We come in friendship, hope, and determined that the road to Damascus is a road to peace,” Ms Pelosi told reporters before travelling on from Syria to Saudi Arabia.

Pelosi then fabricated a fantasy about her trip:

However, her foray into diplomacy stumbled when she told reporters that she was relaying a message of peace to President Assad from the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert. “[Our] meeting with the president enabled us to communicate a message from Prime Minister Olmert that Israel was ready to engage in peace talks,” she told reporters after her talks with Mr Assad.

Hours later, Mr Olmert’s office issued a statement on its website saying that Israel remained unconvinced that Mr Assad was interested in a peace process. “The prime minister emphasised that although Israel is interested in peace with Syria, that country continues to be part of the axis of evil and a force that encourages terror in the entire Middle East,” the statement said, adding that Israeli policy remained unchanged.

The Pelosi effort was obviously one designed to damage George W. Bush:

Ms Pelosi’s status as the third most senior elected figure in Washington makes her visit to Damascus the most serious challenge to the Bush administration strategy of isolation in four years.

Bush considered Syria to be a sponsor of terror, but democrats wanted to play nice with Syria

Democrats have argued that the United States should engage its top rivals in the Mideast — Iran and Syria — to make headway in easing crises in Iraq, Lebanon and the Israeli-Arab peace process. Last year, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended talks with the two countries.

Bush rejected the recommendations. But in February, the United States joined a gathering of regional diplomats in Baghdad that included Iran and Syria for talks on Iraq.

In 2007 Pelosi said “the road to Damascus is a road to peace.”

John Kerry, who always seems to know everything at any given moment, has coddled Assad since 2006 and it went on for some time. In 2009 Kerry and his wife had dinner with Assad and his wife.

kerry and assad

Kerry called Assad a “very generous man” and made every effort to hamstring Bush foreign policy in the Middle East with effusive praise for Assad:

Kerry thwarted efforts during the Bush administration to diplomatically isolate Syria after the administration’s own efforts to engage the regime ended in failure in 2003. Kerry served as the Obama administration’s envoy to Assad, leading a delegation to Syria just days after Obama’s inauguration. There he listened to Bashar Assad lecture him that Washington must “move away from a policy based on dictating decisions.”

Kerry agreed, condemning the previous U.S. president while on the soil of a dictator who had spent the previous years assisting in the killing of American troops in Iraq. “Unlike the Bush administration that believed you could simply tell people what to do and walk away and wait for them to do it, we believe you have to engage in a discussion,” Kerry said.

A year later Kerry was reiterating his praise for Assad’s tyranny. “Syria is an essential player in bringing peace and stability to the region,” Kerry said about the prominent state sponsor of terrorism and host of jihadist groups. “All of us have to work together in order to seize real opportunities.”

The Washington Post called Kerry a “prominent admirer” of Assad.

In 2011, whose current whereabouts are unknown, Hillary Clinton said that Assad was considered a “reformer.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOngyJf9U3E[/youtube]

She was roundly hammered for the statement and she tried to blunt the criticism but not even WaPo was buying it:

Throughout the Middle East uprisings, Clinton has had trouble calibrating her comments to the mood of the moment, such as when she pronounced the Mubarak regime to be “stable’ and “looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.” Days later, Mubarak was gone.

We grant that we have no way of really knowing what lawmakers may have said privately to Clinton. But there is only a small universe of GOP senators and members of Congress who have recently traveled to Syria — 13 or so — and the word “many” would suggest at least half of those traveling.

The State Department’s refusal to identify these lawmakers is also suspicious, especially after Clinton backtracked and sought to pin the blame for the sentiments she expressed on others. So we are left with a public record that suggests Clinton was exaggerating or inventing the chorus of support on the GOP side.

In fact, Clinton’s remarks gave a highly misleading impression — that there was general consensus by experts on Syria in both parties that Assad was a reformer, even though Clinton’s own State Department reports label him otherwise.

hillary

Across the pond Clinton’s current absence has been noticed:

Fourthly, Clinton’s own track record on Syria has hardly been stellar. Before Syria descended into war, Clinton was a strong backer of engagement with Syria, greatly underestimating the nature of the Baathist regime, famously referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a “reformer” in April 2011. In addition, as Washington’s most senior foreign policy official, Clinton did little to stand up to Moscow’s aggressive support for the Syrians, eager to appease the Russians through the controversial “reset” strategy, which was her own brainchild. In addition, the Secretary of State was weak in the face of Iran, whose military and financial backing for the Assad regime has been vital to its survival.

Against this backdrop it’s not hard to see why Hillary Clinton isn’t at the forefront of the Syria debate. Her own handling of the Syria crisis was a spectacular failure, as has been President Obama’s. The last thing she needs in the lead-up to her inevitable White House run is a reminder to Americans of her poor track record as Secretary of State, from the Syrian debacle to the farcical Russian reset. Syria is a liability for Clinton in 2016, and with good reason she is nervous about what happens next.

Obama-with-pursed-lips

Barack Obama began courting Assad even before becoming President:

As a matter of fact, Obama didn’t even wait until he was sworn in as president to begin that process. On 12 November 2008, just a week after he had won the election, a delegation representing President-elect Obama , met with Syrian officials at a meeting in Beirut that was very hush-hush. I wasn’t much reported in the Western media or mentioned by the Syrian press, but it was covered by Al-Ahram Weekly:

A US delegation affiliated with President-elect Barack Obama visited Syria on 12 November and met with two figures close to the Syrian government. The US delegation, comprising intellectuals, academics, and politicians from several US states, aimed to find out more about the impact of Obama’s election on the region, explore Arab reactions, and examine the future of US relations with the Syrian government.

The meeting took place at the Arab Institute for International and Diplomatic Sciences in Beirut. Syrian media made no mention of the visit. The delegation is on a regional tour of six Middle East countries, including Lebanon and Jordan to gather information about Arab reaction to Obama’s election and the prospects of peace and dialogue in the region. The US consul in Damascus briefed the delegation on Syrian reaction to US policies.
..
The Syrians told the US delegation that Damascus is interested in defusing tensions in the regions, is earnestly pursuing talks with Israel, and wants the Americans to sponsor and participate in these talks. Damascus holds no grudges towards the US administration and believes that the best way to sort out problems is through dialogue.

Third, the Syrians are looking for yet another way to open up to the United States, and are laying the groundwork for what they hope will be a political rapprochement between the al Assad regime and the incoming administration led by President-elect Barack Obama. By privately demonstrating to Washington and Beirut that it is cooperating against significant militant groups in Lebanon, the Syrians are sending a deliberate message to the incoming U.S. administration that Syria is prepared and capable of dismantling militant organizations – to include Hezbollah – in exchange for normalization of relations and support in the Syrian-Israeli negotiations. The Syrians have also been exhibiting their cooperation in clamping down on insurgent traffic into Iraq toward this.

Obama, as always, was interested in one thing only- his legacy.

All of the above engaged in policies that were meant to undermine the Presidency of George Bush. The bitter irony is that Bush was right and they were all wrong. And here’s one more bit of irony that really ought to be shoved into the appropriate anatomic sites on the appropriate democrats:

Also in 2005, a ferocious battle erupted in the U.S. Senate over the confirmation of John Bolton as ambassador to the U.N. A key point of contention: his congressional testimony from late 2003 claiming Damascus had “one of the most advanced Arab state chemical weapons capabilities,” and that it might have a covert interest in developing a nuclear bomb. The CIA reportedly went berserk over what it considered Mr. Bolton’s undue alarmism, which would later help sink his nomination in the Senate.

(emphasis added)

Contrast today’s blathering from the above democrats to their past words. They created the monster they now decry.

Keith Hennessey is right. George Bush is smarter than you. He sure as hell is smarter than Obama, Kerry, Pelosi and Clinton.

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I don’t think things have changed all that much in Syria, but the current regime must believe it has… Or they are fighting for the wrong side.

I think it’s great that Pelosi, Kerry and Obama have made 180’s on their viewpoint with regards Assad in Syria.
Unfortunately for all of us involved, they waited too long.
When the ”rebels” first began opposing Assad they were NOT al Qaeda.
Now, they are overwhelmingly led by al Qaeda.
Now, if Pelosi, Kerry and Obama get their way, al Qaeda will be the next ruler in Syria.

It is interesting how silent Hillary has been lately.
I wonder if she, like Bill was famous for, is busy figuring out how to ”triangulate” a better solution in Syria.
If she does, even if her ideas are not used, she will waltz past Biden and any other challenger as the nominee of the Dem Party for president.

Great article…
You misspelled that political party’s name; it should be dhimmocrat.
They are the world’s best dhimmis.

Excellent post that crystalizes the inherent dishonesty of leftists, and why again I say that any vote for any democrat is absolutely a vote for personal enslavement and the death of our Constitutional Republic.

Democrats always engage with dictators and terrorists when a republican is in the White House for no purpose other that blatant political obstructionism. Now they want to bomb Syria to save Obama from the stupidity of his inept foreign policy.

And the rest of the world laughs at us, while they drool over the pending collapse of our nation.

And, the Dems are wondering if they can blame Bush for the corner they painted themselves into.

And yet, I have not heard one news outlet commend the Former President on his foresight. How naïve are our current gang of imbeciles running the government to ever consider diplomatic options a possibility for this country. Name one thug we ever dealt with in the Middle East that we could ever trust in the long run?

Tired American asked: “Name one thug we ever dealt with in the Middle East that we could ever trust in the long run?”
Well, they are at least as trustworthy as 95% of the politicians in Washington DC.

Bush’s foresight has opened up a a supply line from Iran over Iraq to Syria. israel has bombed Syria twice to stop Hezzbollah from getting advanced weapons. If Assad gives chem weapons to hezbollah Israel will be the target. Bush will remain the most disliked POTUS for some time. Obama has approval ratings twice what Bush left with. Americans have not forgotten tghe economic disaster of Bush where the DOW fell 50%

@john:

Did you get all the MSDNC talking points in?

Help us- which Bush policies caused the economic mess?

@john: But don’t forget the democrats are the ones who created the housing bubble, despite Bush’s documented warnings against it. And wasn’t it so ironic how the bubble burst just before election time? Plus, unemployment was at around 4 percent around this time in President Bush’s term. Lastly, the DOW has never been a direct marker of the strength of the economy. In many ways it is can be considered more of a perception than an infallible fact. However, the massive growth of Americans utilizing entitlement programs, unemployment over 7%, an extra 8 trillion in debt, marked rise in part-time over full time employment, hiring freezes and increased people on disability do directly correlate to a failed presidency.

@john:

Obama has approval ratings twice what Bush left with.

Well, since Obama hasn’t left yet (unfortunately) we don’t know what his approval rating will be on January 20, 2016. But we do know that his approval rating at this exact time into the Bush administration is less than George Bush’s was.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_bush_first_term_job_approval.html

Ooooops.

@Scott in Oklahoma: Ya think?

@john:
Typical leftist rant. Bush is to blame for everything and Obama is to blame for nothing. He’s just a victim of circumstance and those evil Republicans saying no.

When you come of age and need a colonoscopy make sure you pull your head out first to make room for the doctor to do his work.

@drjohn: It was the one where the liberals believed that everyone should own a home no matter if they could pay for it or not! Then they went and passed the laws giving people who could not pay a pass. Wasn’t that a Bush policy?

@Randy: No Randy, that was Clinton’s big push.

@Randy:

It is if you believe liberals tell the truth.

Predatory lending legal- Clinton
Fannie to 51% subprimes- Clinton
Repeal of Glass-Steagall- Clinton
Refusal to regulate derivatives- Clinton
Elimination of underwriting standards- Clinton

@Scott in Oklahoma:

Methinks Randy’s cheek is bulging outward

@drjohn: and I am LOL at the ignorance of these liberals who rewrite history to prove their ideology is right.

Polosi says the US must enforce ”civilized behavior,” over the earth, specifically in Syria.
I have to ask how civilized it is to shoot cruise missiles into Syria?
And also how many other spots on earth treat people in uncivilized manners?
The Saudis are beheading ”witches!”
The Boko Haram are committing murder on people all over Africa!
The Indonesian Islamists are killing Christians and Buddists just for their religion!
The Pakistani government has jails filled with rape VICTIMS! (75% of all female inmates)
There is slavery in North Africa and the ME.
The British are discriminating against Romanys (gypsies) for immigration.
Africal-Americans are attacking whites all over the country. (Seattle, Virginia, Pittsburg, Texas, Florida, Minnisota and more)

In other words, where does it stop?
There’s plenty of international norms being abused.
If we weren’t already broke, this ”policy” would break us.

Is not raising taxes the REAL agenda in all of this?

@Randy:

The genesis for the collapse started in 1994 and by 1999 the NYT was issuing warnings of an impending collapse.

http://www.obamafordummies.com/sub-prime-mortgages.html

”From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,” said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ”If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.”

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/30/business/fannie-mae-eases-credit-to-aid-mortgage-lending.html

Good one DrJ.
The above piece from Clinton is a perfect example of the “skating” and double-talk which she perfected along with Gladhander Bill.

The video piece evidences the absolute dearth of “decision-making-capacity” which seems to dominate the progressive liberal minds in Washington. This disgusting pol spreads the manure to members of Congress because SHE cannot stand up and make an intelligent stand. Benghazi was just a speedbump on her way to a crash just down the road.

@Nan G: #19

The Saudis are beheading ”witches!” . . . .

I’ve noted elsewhere that my own experience in the ME witnessed growth of extremism and suppression of women over the past 40+ years. A good friend a few days ago mentioned that when he was growing up in Malasia, “Hijabs” were never seen, and yet today, they’re all over the place. Thank you, Saudis.

For the roots of what you call the Bush economic failures, you have to go back to the Clinton days when he let the real estate moguls run amok as he insisted that “everybody” should get the housing loan they wanted. THAT, my friend, was the start.

You seem to have forgotten to post pictures of Darrell Issa’s personal visits with Assad in November 2001 and again in April 2007—shortly after Pelosi was criticized for her visit.

I didn’t forget. My comment was focused on the allegation that Bush was responsible for the economic failures. The photos would not have been germane to my point.

Very good discussion. Lots of facts and civilized. If everyone read more from all sources. They would find out how bad our economic situation has become over the last 5 years ie unemployment, wages and people who have stopped looking for work. When Obama care gets going full force, Cadillac health plans taxed 40 percent, hopefully unions wake up. Hopefully all Americans wake up.

I do not want Syria to be a party issue, but merely express my idea we could use mind control to turn the tide in Syria and across the Middle East. Sublimal messages within Arabic music is a much better weapon, and does not threaten the existence of humnanity.We are advanced enough to be effective. Just need to recruit American Arabs to embed the messages to change behavior, before our planet is completely destroyed by nukes. No matter our party affiliation, this is a plea for humanity, to use other methods other than military attacks to resolve the criminality across the region through mind control.Besides, we’re broke! can’t afford another war or the consequences!

One day I woke up from a dream and looked around, and America was gone. My dream was America had turned into a state where the government had put the entire country under surveillance. The supposed apolitical arm of government Is used to suppress the will of the American public. Where anyone not agreeing with the party in power is marginalized as a racist… One day I woke up in America, and it was gone…

Stephen Costello
they are from 2013, what a year can do, i just read that your dream,
is about to become reality,
how could you dream it ? while YOU TUBE IS TELLING OF IT, THE NEW WORLD ORDER,
INSTEAD OF AMERICA THE BEAUTIFULL,
YACK