U.S. President George W. Bush said Tuesday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Damascus Syria "does not work" to change Syria's stance on issues in the Middle East.

"A lot of people have gone to see (Syrian) President Assad... and yet we haven't seen action. He hasn't responded," Bush told reporters at a Rose Garden news conference.

Damascus has neither controlled violent elements of militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah as requested by the international community nor supported the democratically elected government of Lebanon, Bush said.

"Sending delegations doesn't work. It's simply been counterproductive," he said.

Bush made the remarks days after White House spokeswoman Dana Perinoa described Pelosi's plan to visit Syria as "a really bad idea."

Pelosi arrived in Damascus Tuesday for a two-day visit, during which Pelosi is expected to have talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other officials on the fight against terrorism.

The two sides will also focus on Syria's role in Iraq, Lebanon and the Middle East peace process.

Pelosi, the highest-ranking U.S. politician to visit Syria in years, is leading a congressional delegation on a fact-finding trip to the Middle East that has taken her to Israel, Lebanon, Palestinian territories and will also take her to Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Washington and Damascus have been in tense relations since 2003 as Syria strongly objected the U.S. invasion of Iraq and blamed the U.S.-led occupation for the turbulence in the country.

Source: Xinhua