A STUDY IN CONTRAST: AS OBAMA'S ZBIG BROWNS HIS NOSE ON SYRIA'S ASS-AD, BUSH ODERS MORE SANCTIONS

TNR:

Zbignew Brzezinski Is In Damascus to See Bashar Assad; I Believe He's There to Meet With Khaled Mashal

It's no surprise that Zbig Brzezinski is visiting Damascus. First of all, Bashar Assad would be delighted to see him, as he has seen other marginal players in U.S. foreign policy. Secondly, Zbig is a fan of Assad's, as is the ex-president for whom he pondered heavy matters, Jimmy Carter, a really big fan.

Visiting America's enemies is, in any case, a good way to get attention at home. (Jesse Jackson made nearly a full-time profession of visiting our for years. Soneone should ask him what he thinks of President Chavez now.)

The visitors may say they are pushing along the "getting to yes" process. But what they're usually doing is fomenting mischief.

HAARETZ/AP:

Bush orders expansion of sanctions against Syria

President George W. Bush ordered new sanctions on Wednesday to punish Syria for allegedly trying to undermine stability in Iraq and undercut Lebanon's sovereignty and democracy.

Bush, in an executive order, said he was expanding sanctions against senior government officials in Syria and their associates deemed responsible for or to have benefited from public corruption.

The order named no specific officials.

The White House said Wednesday's order expanded action taken in May 2004 when Bush issued an executive order banning all U.S. exports to Syria except for food and medicine. He ordered the sanctions then after long-standing complaints that the Middle Eastern nation was supporting international terror and undermining U.S. efforts in Iraq.

The measures he imposed in 2004 also included a ban on flights to and from the United States; authorization to the Treasury Department to freeze assets of Syrian nationals and entities involved in terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, occupation of Lebanon or terror in Iraq; and restrictions on banking relations between U.S. banks and Syria's national bank.

The measures follow complaints by the U.S. that Syria was supporting
militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah and failing to stop guerrillas from crossing the border into Iraq.

• ZBIG SERVES OBAMA AND OBAMA POLICIES HELP ASSAD, IRAN AND AL QAEDA.
• A VOTE FOR OBAMA IS A VOTE FOR OUR ENEMIES AND THE ENEMIES OF THE FREE WORLD.