Britannia Radio

Ed Miliband realises that Brown is busy asnd is taking the 
opportunity to make trouble everywhere.  He's causing chaos by his 
blundering.

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In the last 3 weeks he has infuriated Georgia by - in  their view 
- betraying them to Russia by breaking his promises .

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He has backed the idea of  EU troops for the Congo.

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He has been accused by Lithuania of selling THEM out to the 
Russians by switching sides in the EU to allow talks with Russia to 
start.

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He has adopted an extreme line in the EU committing Britain to even 
tougher anti-CO2 measures.

==He has been accused by Lithuania of selling THEM out to the 
Russians by switching sides in the EU to allow talks with Russia to 
start.

==

Now he reverses a long-standing stance that as long as Syria hosts 
Iran's Hezbollah and refuses to make a peace treaty with Israel 
Britain would keep an'arm's length' stance  vis-a-vis that country.  
If there has been a genuine change on Syria's part already, this 
could be a wise move.  If not, he is playing with fire.

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ANANOVA   12.11.08
Miliband confirms Syria visit
David Miliband has hailed an "important change in approach" by the 
Syrian government as he confirmed he would make the first visit there 
by a British Foreign Secretary since 2000.

He said the establishment of diplomatic relations with Lebanon and 
the curtailment of the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq had helped 
make the trip possible.

Mr Miliband will go to Damascus as part of a tour to the Middle East 
next week after accepting an invitation from his counterpart Walid Al-
Muallem during his visit to the UK last month.

He said he had been pressing Syria for co-operation on anti-terrorism 
issues, Lebanon, its involvement with Iraq and the Middle East peace 
process for 15 or 16 months.

"I think in a significant way there have been important changes in 
the approach of the Syrian government," he told reporters during a 
press conference at his official London residence.

"Notably the historic decision to exchange ambassadors with the 
Lebanon and establish diplomatic relations, but also, in the other 
areas Syria, while it has important responsibilities, also has an 
important role to play. The funnelling of foreign fighters and arms 
into Iraq has certainly been curtailed.

"I was pleased to welcome the Syrian foreign minister here two weeks 
ago and he invited me back to Syria and I am pleased to take up the 
invitation. I think it is very, very important that Syria fulfils all 
its responsibilities, including in respect of Hezbollah but I also 
think it is important that we find ways for Syria to play a 
constructive role in the future of the Middle East.
"Syria is a secular state in the Middle East and has potential to 
play a stabilising role in the region, particularly in respect of 
issues like the Arab Peace Initiative which I think needs to play a 
very important part in the development of a comprehensive peace in 
the Middle East."

He was speaking after talks with his Afghan counterpart Rangin Dadfar 
Spanta.

Robin Cook's visit in 2000 was the last by a British foreign 
secretary to Syria, although the then Prime Minister Tony Blair held 
talks there in 2001 and sent his top foreign policy adviser Sir Nigel 
Sheinwald, now the British ambassador to America, to Damascus for 
clandestine discussions.