TW: While some demagogue, hopefully something positive is stirring with Syria. Syria is the redheaded step child of the Middle East- little oil, not enough population to demand attention and a mediocre military. Its government garners attention asymmetrically by fomenting terrorism and generally causing mischief.
But if Syria could be pulled into a more integrated, more symmetrical diplomatic and economic posture, good things could happen. Lebanon's stability enhanced, Iran further isolated and one less sovereign nation left to foment terrorism. Obama sending an ambassador over is one of those little noticed but potentially very significant events that will hopefully bear fruit over time.
From Joe Klein at Time:
"The Obama Administration has decided to send a U.S. Ambassador back to Syria, for the first time since Margaret Scobie was pulled by the Bush Administration, which was protesting the likely involvement of the Syrian government in the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. This is a wise move on several grounds. It is a reflection of productive negotiations between the U.S. and Syria just below the radar screen. It also sends an interesting signal to Iran, whose regime should begin to wonder if Syrians are shifting with the international tides, given the Iranian regime's public brutality and the recent defeat of Hizballah in the recent Lebanese elections. And it positions the U.S. as mediators in potential peace talks between Syria and Israel, which both sides have been pursuing through intermediaries for years.
The Syrians have been slightly uncomfortable with their Iran alliance for years, but they tend to move very slowly and cautiously in negotiations. This is a sign that something's bubbling in Damascus."
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