Tea Anyone?

United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus today to discuss, among other things, Syria’s role in Iraq, its support of Palestinian militants, and the future of U.S.-Syrian relations in the post-9/11 world. President Bush is quite displeased because, well, it’s clear he doesn’t want a liberal (woman) talking to the Syrians. That’s a task better reserved for tough-talking cowboys, not a progressive, San Francisco grandmother.

Syria is one of six countries designated by the U.S. State Department as a state sponsor of terrorism. Washington has regularly accused Syria of doing nothing to stop the flow of insurgents and suicide bombers into neighboring Iraq. The U.S. withdrew its ambassador from Damascus following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in February 2005.

On a lighter note, check out that lovely tea table. It’s fab, no? My friend Kate has been looking for one of these forever, but the problem is the good ones tend to be pretty pricey, especially when they’ve got all that beautiful mother of pearl inlay. Syria may be on America’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, but you must admit, they do have a keen eye for interior design.