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Speaker Pelosi called to task for not attending Petraeus briefing

A Republican U.S. congressman is calling House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to task for not attending a special briefing by the top U.S. commander in Iraq. General David Petraeus gave members of Congress his assessment of the new Iraqi Security plan in a closed-door session on the House floor; and while all lawmakers were invited, Pelosi did not attend because of a scheduling conflict.



While Pelosi's office said she had spoken to Petraeus on the phone for 30 minutes the previous day, Congressman Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina) is among those who feel she should have attended the briefing. He says it would have been "very helpful for her to have gotten a full explanation with the issues that we have before us, which largely relate to the issue of the level of effectiveness of the new strategy that the president has, the new initiatives of the reinforcements to Baghdad."

Wilson says while Pelosi found it inconvenient to attend the general's briefing, the House Speaker was able to jet-set around the globe to meet with Syrian leader Bashar Assad. "Clearly, President Assad of Syria has financed Hezbollah," Wilson notes, and "Syria has been heavily involved working and enabling terrorism."

Under the circumstances, Pelosi should have been present at General Petraeus' briefing, the South Carolina Republican asserts. "It's my understanding," he says, "that she may have had other communications with him; but I really believe the best way to have a full explanation and understanding of the issues that we face here in Congress ... is that you should be going to these briefings, but particularly she as the Speaker of the House."

Wilson, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, says it was "insulting and disrespectful" for House Speaker Pelosi not to attend the special briefing by the top U.S. commander in Iraq.