April 20, 2010
“The simple fact is that restoring an ambassador legitimizes Syria and its stonewalling into the investigation surrounding Rafik Hariri's assassination as well as its support for Hezbollah. … The simple fact is that engagement with the Assads of Syria is a fool's game with a record of consistent failure (in contrast to a spotty but still more positive record of coercion against Syria).”
—Michael Rubin, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute, “False Logic on Sending U.S. Ambassador to Syria,” The Corner, National Review Online, April 15, 2010
“Syrian actions frequently have been hostile to U.S. interests. … Given these factors, we should temper expectations about what can be achieved diplomatically with the Syrians in the short term. Nevertheless, declining to post Ambassadors to countries, though sometimes necessary, rarely serves U.S. interests for long. In this case, Syria is an unavoidable factor in the Middle East peace equation. As we have noted, its actions affect U.S. foreign policy goals in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and other neighboring states. It is understandable that as the Administration tries to make progress on several fronts in the Middle East, it is proposing sending an Ambassador to Damascus for the first time since 2005.”
—Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), ranking member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, opening statement, nomination hearing for U.S. ambassador to Syria, March 16, 2010
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“We knew at the outset that the task would be difficult. We acknowledged that publicly and privately. We knew this would be a road with many bumps— and there have been many bumps—and that continues to this day. But we are not deterred. We are, to the contrary, determined more than ever to proceed to realize the common objective, which we all share, of a Middle East that is at peace with security and prosperity for the people of Israel, for Palestinians, and for all the people in the region. We will continue our efforts in that regard, undeterred and undaunted by the difficulties, the complexities or the bumps in the road.”
—George Mitchell, special envoy for Middle East peace, remarks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, September 29, 2010
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