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The Spectacle Blog
Jonah Goldberg highlights a report from the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency about Congressman Dennis Kucinich, currently in Damascus, praising Bashar Assad to the skies. Kucinich has issued a statement (which the @RepKucinich Twitter account seems to be tweeting at anyone who links to the SANA article or Jonah’s post) claiming he was mistranslated:
Today, the Syrian Arab News Agency published an article that contained a number of mistranslations and mischaracterized statements that I made during a news conference in Damascus.
While on fact-finding mission in Syria, I was asked to share my initial reactions with some journalists, which I did. During my remarks I stressed the importance of the government paying attention to the democratic aspirations of the people of Syria. It is up to the people of Syria to decide the future of their government. There is a process of national dialogue beginning and this process is important. It is important that the Assad government listen carefully to the just demands and act positively to fulfill the democratic aspirations of the people of Syria. The process of national dialogue which has now begun is a step in the direction of identifying necessary reforms.
I did not come to Syria with my mind made up. After discussions with people at many different levels of society, I am convinced of the need for honesty, fairness and dialogue.
A story written about my remarks by the Syrian Arab News Agency unfortunately mistranslated several of my statements and did not reflect my direct quotes. Arab-speaking friends accompanying me have explained that the problem may have come from a mistranslation as well as the degree of appreciation and affection their state-sponsored media has for President Assad.
It is unfortunate that translation errors can create such problems. Given the stakes for Syria and the region, I will consider the article only an error, not a willful intent to mischaracterize my statements or my efforts in the region.
I intend to continue my efforts to determine as best I can exactly what is happening in Syria, ever more mindful of the maxim, “lost in translation.”
This is pathetic. Kucinich’s “fact-finding mission” is little more than a propaganda setpiece for the Assad regime, and while I have no doubt that SANA made Kucinich’s remarks sound more pro-Assad than they were, that hardly absolves him of responsibility for appearing in Damascus in the first place. The fact that he is still going out of his way to assume good faith on the part of Syrian propagandists just cements his status as Assad’s useful idiot.
View all comments (15) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by John Tabin
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/06/28/dennis-in-damascus
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Hook| 6.28.11 @ 8:43PM
If memory serves, Kucinich has been a fan of this Syrian government for years. I think he once went over and apologized to them.
Paul McGrath| 6.28.11 @ 8:55PM
What in the name of God is any congressman doing there in the first place? Upon his return, they oughtta arrest the bastard.
WL| 6.28.11 @ 11:02PM
Mr. Tabin....
NOW THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR!!!!!!!
WHile some of your comrades at ASpec are chewing up and critiquing our candidates...
You are taking the fight to the enemy....
The DEMOCRATS
Three Cheers for TABIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WL| 6.28.11 @ 11:03PM
For he's a jolly good fellow!!!!!!
SOmebody grab one of the 99 bottle of beer on the wall, Give it to Mr. Tabin...
And charge it to me.
Christopher Holland| 6.29.11 @ 1:04AM
How can anybody go to Syria 'with an open mind'? The country has been a murderous, war mongering, terrorist, antisemitic dictatorship for nearly 40 years! Anybody who doesn't understand that has a closed mind, not an open one. Kucinich is a stupid fool- as always.
Occam's Tool| 6.29.11 @ 1:29AM
And Ron Paul votes on foreign policy in lockstep with Dennis Kucinich. Therefore... QED
Occam's Tool| 6.29.11 @ 1:32AM
For further example: "Kucinich and Rep. Ron Paul are the only two congressmen who voted against Rothman-Kirk Resolution, which calls on the United Nations to charge Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with violating the genocide convention of the United Nations Charter based on statements that he has made."
I could go on like this with example after example FOR HOURS and PAGES. All documentable with THOMAS.
beebop| 6.29.11 @ 5:40AM
As a resident of Ohio, I can only opine that most of his constituents would prefer that Representative Kuccinich had spent the same amount of time in his congressional office working to keep some of the jobs that have left the area during his tenure from seeking greener pastures. Fortunately, his seat will disappear and he will have to pack his carpet bag and travel elsewhere in order to continue what can best be described as performance art.
Don L| 6.29.11 @ 8:12AM
Travel? Obama will quickly name him Ambassador to Syria when he hears of how well he bowed to freedom's enemies.
beebop| 6.29.11 @ 5:44AM
Too bad he didn't spend the time in DEMASCUS, OHIO yesterday. It is a charming small town that is quickly being shuttered and marked more by its FOR SALE signs than its pastural fields and walk to stores way of life. But see? Where's the fun in that when you can gaffe and stumble your way on to the nation's stage ... albeit looking like a fool. Which sadly he's been doing since he bankrupted Cleveland as the "boy" mayor.
wholesaleUSAjerseys | 6.29.11 @ 5:54AM
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W| 6.29.11 @ 12:42PM
We are broke and yet we pay to send Kucinich to Syria, I would not have a problem if it was a one way ticket. What facts did he discover that we did not know?
Kucinich was the mayor of Cleveland when the Cuyahoga river caught on fire.
Bob K.| 6.29.11 @ 12:45PM
What on earth makes you people think that getting rid of a minority government which is run by a small Muslim sect in Syria and replacing it with another much larger Anti Israel Sunni run government will make things easier for Israel?
weddingdress | 7.8.11 @ 4:50AM
As a resident of Ohio, I can only opine that most of his constituents would prefer that Representative Kuccinich had spent the same amount of time in his congressional office working to keep some of the jobs that have left the area during his tenure from seeking greener pastures. Fortunately, his seat will disappear and he will have to pack his carpet bag and travel elsewhere in order to continue what can best be described as performance art.