The value of face-to-face

This is a fantastic example of how a "radical" action can open the door for more sane communication. A month ago, Nancy Pelosi was criticized by the White House for traveling to Syria to speak with President Bashar al-Assad.

But then today, the New York Times reported that Condoleezza Rice visited Syria to meet with Walid al-Moallem, Syria’s foreign minister. The U.S. cut off relations with them over two years ago after deeming the country a state sponsor of terrorism.

But Rice's visit today creates hope on both sides of the divide:

Mr. Moallem said he hoped that the meeting was the start of something more. He asked that the United States return its ambassador to Damascus. Mr. Bush recalled the ambassador, Margaret Scobey, two years ago after the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

“We hope the Americans are serious, because we in Damascus are serious about improving relations with America,” Mr. Moallem said.

“This is a marked improvement in the administration’s ostrich policy approach, and a tacit admission of how wrong it was last month in criticizing the Speaker of the House and congressional colleagues, including myself, for going to Damascus,” Representative Tom Lantos, Democrat of California, said in a statement. “As a lifelong internationalist, Secretary Rice knows better than most the great value of face-to-face discussion, even with those with whom we strongly disagree.”