Freelancing

If The Decider won't make any moves to stop the crisis in Iraq (don't rush me, it's only been 3 1/2 years!), then it's time for the adults to step in.

Syrian President Bashar Assad told Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday that he was willing to cooperate with the U.S. to control the porous border between Syria and Iraq used by insurgents.

The one-hour meeting in Damascus, which State Department officials had opposed, was the first between a high-level American official and Assad since a bipartisan panel suggested that the U.S. work with Syria and Iran to curb bloodshed in Iraq.

"Assad clearly indicated the willingness to cooperate with the Americans and/or the Iraqi army to be part of a solution," the Florida Democrat said in a conference call from Amman, Jordan.

Bill Nelson is an American citizen, we're not currently at war with Syria, and as a legislator he has a keen interest in finding solutions for his constituents. This is perfectly fine, and it's a brilliant move to force the White House's hands to start paying attention to what needs to be done. This was the one part of the ISG report that I felt was self-evident, that you negotitate with people in the region because it couldn't possibly hurt.

Bush immediately reacted to this by stamping his little feet and yelling about what bad, bad people they are (apparently, they're holding prisoners in secret locations without allowing them to challenge their detention... now who does that sound like?). Meanwhile, the floodgates are opening, as Damascus is looking more and more like the Capitol.

White House press secretary Tony Snow said the administration does not agree with lawmakers traveling to Syria.

"We just don't think it's appropriate," he said Wednesday of Nelson's meeting. Sens. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., John Kerry, D-Mass., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., also plan to meet with Assad soon.

It's completely whitewashed in the media that Iran gave the United States a good deal of help at the beginning of the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, including helping us rescue downed aircraft. Just because a country is nominally "the enemy" doesn't mean you can't work together with common interests. In fact, that's how you stop them from being enemies.

While the public pose is against talks with Syria, however, one report claims that the back-channel is wide open, albeit with an infamous - and familiar - envoy.

A little-noticed visit by Ahmad Chalabi to Syria is igniting speculation that the former Iraqi exile leader is emerging as a key channel between Damascus and Washington.

After a weekend meeting with the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, Mr. Chalabi announced that Syria and Iraq would formally open their respective embassies in Damascus and Baghdad on Monday. An American diplomat said yesterday that Mr. Chalabi also was gauging the interest of the Assad regime in a limited rapprochement with America.

Mr. Chalabi regularly consults with the American ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad. On Saturday, Mr. Chalabi told reporters that Syria and Iraq were considering joint patrols along the porous border they share.

I don't trust Chalabi, nor should anyone. It could be that the Bush Administration is in fact listening to the ISG report, but in the worst possible way.