Thursday, February 18, 2010

Obama courts Damascus in hope of ending Middle East deadlock


Assad goes from pariah to ally as US breaks five years of diplomatic isolation for Syria

By David Usborne, US Editor
The Independent

"As Barack Obama moved formally to repair US relations with Syria by nominating an ambassador to serve there after a five-year hiatus, William Burns, America's top career diplomat, held talks in Damascus yesterday with the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on an array of security issues [Syria has already agreed to share intelligence information with the CIA AND MI5. What is left? Arrange the details of assassinating Mish'al, with the CIA and the MOSSAD? Don't laugh.] in the region.

The sudden flurry of activity reflects a gamble by Washington that engaging more closely with Syria it can persuade it to take steps on a number of fronts that it sees as being vital to improving stability in the Middle East with regard to all its neighbours – Iran, Iraq, Lebanon as well as Israel......"

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