Kerry in Damascus

Nothing in the US press but Beirut's L'Orient Le-Jour reports that US Senator John Kerry in Damascus. The paper also reported that he would be traveling to Tehran.

As to President Bush's plan to send more troops to Baghdad, it's all about domestic US politics. Bush will seeking to split the Democratic Party by asking Congress for more troops and approval of an enormous military spending bill in early February. He'll attempt to out-"patriot" the Democratic Congress because its margin of majority is thin.