WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama plans to return an ambassador to Syria, filling a post that has been vacant for four years and marking an acceleration of Washington's engagement with the Arab world, the White House said on Wednesday.Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama's decision was aimed at fulfilling his promise to show more U.S. engagement in the Arab world and not a response to any explicit policy change on Syria's part. He cited a series of meetings between Syrian and U.S. officials since Obama took office.
"This strongly reflects the administration's recognition of the role Syria plays, and the hope of the role that the Syrian government can play constructively, to promote peace and stability in the region," Gibbs said.
| One of the more clueless things he's said. Syria? Constructive? As in, how many more Lebanese politicians and police will the Syrians and Hezbollah murder in the coming year? |
A senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity before the announcement was made said: "The president believes that diplomatic engagement helps serve our interests, and that the current policy didn't make sense."
| So let's reward the bullies and thugs and see what happens ... |
Moustapha, said that U.S.-Syrian relations "were headed in the right direction" and away from the freeze during the Bush administration. Nevertheless, Moustapha said, "It is still difficult to talk about radical change in the relationship but we can talk about advancing in small, but consecutive and positive steps."
Feltman and White House official Daniel Shapiro have both visited Damascus, the Syrian capital, at least twice this year as part of talks about bettering relations with a country shunned by former President George W. Bush.
Syria remains a key to
| Who started that war? |
| Had the Juices not been there, there'd have been no war, silly, so of course it was the Juices' fault. The logic is unanswerable. |
| In return for what? What does Syria have to give, other than Hezbollah, Hamas and the PLFP? Anyone think the Syrians will do that? |
| Why should they, when it belongs to the Ummah by right. |
The U.S. withdrew its ambassador to Syria in 2005 to protest Syrian actions in neighboring Lebanon. Washington has criticized Syria and Iran for supporting Islamic militant groups such as the Palestinian Hamas in Gaza and Lebanon's Hezbollah. The U.S. also has accused Syria of not doing enough to stop the infiltration of militants to fight U.S. and allied forces in neighboring Iraq.