White House scoffs at Petraeus Syria plan

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus is at odds with the Bush administration over his desire to meet with Syrian officials, sources said.

ABC News reported Thursday that Petraeus proposed visiting Syria to meet in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad shortly after taking over as the top U.S. commander for the Middle East.

The network reported that the general's plan was shot down by officials at the White House, State Department and the Pentagon.

Petraeus becomes the commander of U.S. Central Command, or Centcom, Friday.

"When the timing is right, we ought to go in there and have a good discussion with the Syrians," said a Defense Department official close to Petraeus. "It's a meaningful dialogue to have."

The last senior U.S. official to visit Syria was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in April 2007. The White House was vehemently opposed to her trip.