"... unfiltered straight talk with the Syrian government will be my mission priority,..."

Via Friday-Lunch-Club

Bloomberg/ here

"... Ford said Syria should shut down remaining foreign fighter networks feeding militants into Iraq and realize that Iraq has a sustainable, constitutional government that won’t be overthrown.....

“If confirmed, unfiltered straight talk with the Syrian government will be my mission priority,” he said.

Ford said he would tell Syria it must cooperate with international nuclear inspectors and that U.S. sanctions won’t be dropped unless Syria stops supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon and arming it with rockets and other weapons used against Israel.

“I am under no illusions as to how big a challenge this will be,” Ford told lawmakers. ..... “If we are to succeed in stabilizing the region, we must persuade Syria that neither Iran nor Hezbollah share Syria’s long-term strategic interest in a comprehensive Middle East peace,” Ford said. “Indeed, we must see whether the Syrians (ehem, because as we speak, the Israelis have shown nothing but inclination & flexibility??!!) ...) are truly interested in negotiating that peace agreement with Israel.”....."

Posted by G, Z, or B at 1:36 PM

River to Sea
 Uprooted Palestinian