Pelosi in Syria

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus in defiance of President George W. Bush, who had called the visit ``counterproductive.''
The talks were ``very productive,'' Pelosi said in a televised news conference in the Syrian capital today, adding she was ``determined that the road to Damascus would be the path to peace.''
Assad gave assurances of his willingness to restart talks with Israel on the Middle East peace process, Pelosi said. She said she was able to convey a message from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that his country is also ready to engage in peace talks.
Some congressional Republicans support Pelosi's diplomatic overture. Republican Representative David Hobson (news, bio, voting record) of Ohio is one of six members of Congress traveling with her. Three other Republican representatives made a separate visit to Syria this week, over the objections of the White House.
Republican Representatives Frank Wolf (news, bio, voting record) of Virginia, Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania and Robert Aderholt (news, bio, voting record) of Alabama said in a statement that while they support Bush's Iraq policy, they also believe that ``there should be an aggressive diplomatic effort.''
The trip is Pelosi's second to the Middle East since Democrats took control of the House in January.
Bush said Pelosi's meeting with Assad lets Syrian officials believe they're part of the mainstream. He said Assad's government has done ``little to nothing'' to rein in the militant groups and has aided the movement of foreign fighters from Syria into Iraq.
Pelosi's Middle East trip included an address to the Israeli Knesset April 1. Olmert has told reporters he asked Pelosi to carry a message to Assad that his nation will engage in talks with Syria if Syria backs away from its support of terrorist groups.
The Bush administration has accused Syria of fomenting sectarian violence in Iraq and aiding attacks on U.S. troops there. The U.S. also blamed Syria for the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Congressional leaders have previously bucked a president on overseas trips, in some cases even presidents in their own party, said Don Ritchie, associate historian for the U.S. Senate.