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| US Democrat set for Syria talks |
| US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is set for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as she continues a visit to Syria that has angered the WhiteHouse
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| UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
, 4-April-2007
3:31:48 AM |
| President George W Bush has said her visit undermines US foreign policy.
Ms Pelosi brushed off criticism, saying dialogue with Syria was key to solving the Iraq and Lebanon crises.
A top Syrian official said he welcomed the visit as the start of a dialogue between the two countries but had no illusions about what it could achieve.
Syria's deputy foreign minister, Fayssal Mekdad, told the BBC's Kim Ghattas that "true dialogue is the only way for solving the very grave problems in the region."
But he was doubtful that "in a first visit of this type with such an administration in the United States we can reach the expected results".
'Mixed signals'
The Republican Bush administration has boycotted Syria since the 2005 murder of Lebanon's former PM Rafik Hariri.
President Bush said Ms Pelosi's trip to Syria sent "mixed signals" that undermined US-led efforts to isolate the Syrian president.
"Photo opportunities and/or meetings with President Assad lead the Assad government to believe they're part of the mainstream of the international community, when, in fact, they're a state sponsor of terror," Mr Bush said.
Before arriving in Syria, Ms Pelosi pointed to the visit of Republican representatives Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt, who met President Assad on Sunday.
"I didn't hear the White House speaking out about that," Ms Pelosi said.
Ms Pelosi's office has said that it is worth engaging with "every country that has an interest in avoiding a chaotic Iraq".
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