Controversy over Kucinich’s Visit to Syria

The Editorial Board for the Washington Post criticized Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) for meeting with President Bashar al-Assad in Syria, hosting a press conference (where he was reportedly misquoted), and in essence lending Assad’s regime legitimacy. The piece concludes: “the only people who take the regime’s rhetoric seriously are those who wish to defend it, who excuse its horrendous crimes and who oppose genuine democracy in Syria. Mr. Kucinich has just made himself one of the more conspicuous members of that camp.”

In response, Rep. Kucinich remarked today that “through demonizing prose and a ‘with us or against us’ mindset, the Washington Post Editorial Board rejoins the march of folly that has in the past decade fueled a misguided approach to conflict resolution and democracy building.” He defended his trip to Syria, made at the request of his Arab constituents and not the Syrian regime. Kucinich reported speaking with Syrians who favored reforms led by Assad rather than his departure and an unknown, unstable future. And he cited the threat of extremists “using this time of transition as an opportunity of cover for their own anti-democratic agenda.” He claimed to have called on Assad to withdraw forces from cities, “he told me he would, and today we learned that he has begun to do just that.” Finally, Kucinich reiterated that a process of national dialogue which is now beginning is “unprecedented” and  ”should not be dismissed as mere window dressing, because until now there has been no window for people to view what democracy in Syria would look like.”

Yaser Tabbara, head of the U.S.-based opposition group the Syrian American Council, accused Kucinich of  ”taking a public relations opportunity,” and despite his record of standing up for human rights, of being “severely wrong on Syria.” The White House said that Kucinich’s trip was not authorized by the administration, and he was not representing the White House. And State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said earlier this week that his visit was at the invitation of the Syrian government and arranged by the Syrian Embassy in Washington. Kucinich received a briefing from Ambassador Robert Ford, but Kucinich “did not ask to be accompanied on his meetings, nor has he given us a debrief, nor was he carrying any administration messages.”