End-runs around the President
But probably not the one you're thinking of.
At the same time [May 1997] Congress was attaching human rights conditions to U.S. security assistance programs and negotiating a formal end-use monitoring agreement with the Colombian defense ministry, other lawmakers were secretly assuring Colombian officials that they felt such restrictions were unwarranted, and would work to either remove the conditions or limit their effectiveness.
One example of this was a congressional delegation led by Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) which met with Colombian military officials, promising to “remove conditions on assistance” and complaining about “leftist-dominated” U.S. congresses of years past that “used human rights as an excuse to aid the left in other countries.” Hastert said he would to correct this situation and expedite aid to countries allied in the war on drugs and also encouraged Colombian military officials to “bypass the U.S. executive branch and communicate directly with Congress.”
In another cable (See Document 54) U.S. Ambassador Myles Frechette decries the fact that a shipment of items destined for the military – which had been held up pending negotiation of an end-use monitoring agreement – arrived in Colombia while the Hastert delegation was in country, undermining Frechette’s leverage with the Colombian military leadership.
6 comments:
And...?
So this justifies Pelosi - using the argument that they did it so we can too?
Pathetic.
No, it just demonstrates how the BS complaints about Pelosi are hypocritical at the very least.
And the way this story has been played out - no discussion of the Republican delegation that went at the same time, dissing Pelosi because she wore a scarf to one site, even though Condi and Laura have worn scarves when appropriate.
If it weren't so pathetic I'd laugh.
Goddamn, Susan, Pelosi went over there and made a fool of herself and, by reflection, of the entire country. And then she got to sit in a chair at the Saudi legislature and made her pedantic speech about being "the first woman speak in 200 years...blah blah".
Can you freaking imagine Condi Rice acting that way??? "Oh, I'm the first black woman Sec of State!". Wouldn't happen, because she has class, character, and is not a self-serving bitch like Pelosi.
The Syrians, Palestinians, and Saudis played her like the amateur fool she is....fuck, she even mischaracterized what Olmert told her and Olmert is none too happy about it.
If she wants to lead foreign policy, she can run for President. Meanwhile, she can STFU and let the big boys do the talking across the sea.
They played her, huh? Details, please.
Don't insult our collective intelligence. They played her. Read. You won't like it.
"Read. You won't like it."
Read what?
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