Obama Names Envoy to Syria

[Talhe]

Another break with Bush policies; I'm rather surprised he bypassed Congress and Senate as well.

Obama names ambassador to Syria

By Perry Bacon Jr. and Karen DeYoung
Thursday, December 30, 2010
President Obama on Wednesday appointed the first U.S. ambassador to Syria since 2005, using a recess appointment to bypass opposition from Senate Republicans.

Because he was appointed while the Senate is in recess, Robert Ford, a career diplomat, will not need Senate confirmation. But he can serve only until the end of the next session of Congress, which will likely be in December 2011.

Ford's nomination was held up by a group of GOP senators who complained that the administration had failed to articulate a viable policy toward the Syrian government, which has been charged with supporting Hezbollah militants and other anti-Israel groups.

The Bush administration withdrew its ambassador from Syria in February 2005 to protest the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri. Syrian intelligence officials were suspected of being behind the killing, a claim that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rejected.

Ford was one of six long-stalled nominees Obama appointed Wednesday, including ambassadors to Turkey, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan. The president also appointed James M. Cole as deputy attorney general.

Cole's nomination had stalled in the Senate because of Republican concerns about his comments about terrorism and his work as an independent contractor for the insurance giant AIG.

Cole had waited nearly five months for a Senate vote on his nomination to the Justice Department post, by far the longest delay to fill that position in the past 30 years.

[White Haven]

I will never understand the controversy over envoys to and negotiation with enemies. It's great! When you negotiate with a neutral or a friend, if things go poorly you may have damaged relations. Enemies are awesome, however, in that if negotiations go poorly, you just stay enemies.

[Talhe]

If I'm not mistaken (which I might be regarding Lebanese matters) the US withdrew their ambassador due to the assassination of Hariri and their continued meddling in Lebanon. Giving them 'something for nothing', as the sending might be perceived as, could send a message to both Syria and Lebanon that might be misinterpreted.

Michael Young goes a bit more in-depth; I don't always agree with him, but I find him to be quite knowledgeable: http://www.nowlebanon.com/NewsArticleDe ... ?ID=226551

[Alyeska]

The US negotiated with the USSR. Every time I hear people bitch about negotiating with enemies I just roll my eyes. Of course we negotiate with enemies. Its called diplomacy.

[Feil]

Hooray! Score one for the forces of common sense.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Talhe.

White Haven:
No negotiating with enemies is a manifestation of the Cult of the Tough Guy, a common vice amongst American politicians, although definitely not limited to them. To many among the US Right and some among the US Left, good foreign policy (indeed, good every policy) means asking yourself, "What would Dirty Harry do?"