Ali Khan [Washburn University School of Law]: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is moving on the right path in exploring the possibilities of negotiated solutions to the problems that threaten the peace of the Middle East. Her bold initiative to meet with two Muslim rulers, the Syrian President and the Saudi King, is in line with the UN Charter and customary international law that require nations to resolve disputes without threats and employment of force.

As the Speaker of the US House of Representatives–which reflects the will of the American people in the most recent general elections (more so than the White House)–Pelosi has every right to take foreign policy initiatives that involve the enumerated constitutional powers of the Congress. According to the Constitution, the Congress provides for the common defense of the United States; it has the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations; to define and punish offenses against the law of nations; and to declare war. Speaker Pelosi's Middle East visits involve the constitutional issues of defense, commerce, law of nations, and war and peace. She must gather facts on her own, in light of the lies that have been told to the Congress.

Furthermore, the United States is bogged down in a bloody war that refuses to go away. American soldiers are dying in dozens. The country has lost respect across the world. Americans face ill-will when they travel abroad. The US foreign policy is anti-commerce as American businessmen are losing opportunities in the Muslim world and elsewhere. American universities and colleges are losing foreign students due to stupid and paranoid visa policies (a complaint that the Saudis made to Speaker Pelosi). In view of these grave matters, Speaker Pelosi must explore the possibilities of turning the matters around so that the House can discharge its constitutional duties in an informed manner."