John Kerry is showing us that he would have been a Jimmy Carter—like President, had he been elected. Playing kissy—face with Batthist dictator Bashir Assad in Damascus, Kerry said:

"I think we found a great deal of areas of mutual interest, some common concerns and some possibilities for initiatives that could be taken in the future to strengthening relationship between the U.S. and Syria," Kerry told reporters after meeting with al—Sharaa.

"I can assure you that I leave here with a sense that we can improve our relationship. There are significant possibilities, particularly with the elections in Iraq and the elections in the West Bank ...," Kerry said. "This is the moment of opportunity for the Middle East, for the U.S. and for the world. I hope that we would seize that opportunity."

Kerry said there were "still concerns" that need to be addressed. "But I came away confident that the president and foreign minister are interested in moving in the right direction, and I am hopeful they will," he said.

Assad stressed "the importance of dialogue between the two sides over all issues under discussion, especially those of common interest," Syria's official news agency reported without elaborating.

Kerry's visit comes amid strained U.S.—Syrian relations, particularly over accusations by American and Iraqi interim government officials that Damascus is doing too little to stop border infiltration. Washington also accuses Syria of backing Palestinian militant groups opposed to Israel.

Ed Lasky   1 08 05