Syrian President Bashar Assad is visiting London today, where he will meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair said that the talks are likely to be "difficult," particularly regarding Iraq and the war against terrorism. Syria is both a member of the UN Security Council and included on the United States list of terrorism-sponsoring states. Israel has criticized England for inviting Assad, and Victims of Arab Terror (VAT) president Shifra Hoffman, who is currently on a media and speaking tour in London, added her voice of condemnation as well: "VAT strongly condemns the British Government for shamefully hosting and honoring the despotic President of Syria, a known supporter of nefarious terrorist attacks."