CNN Breaking Obama to appoint ambassador to Syria

[grantcart]

Source: CNN

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Read more: http://www.cnn.com/

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Here the subject is discussed in an earlier Reuters report indicating that Syria expected Obama to appoint an ambassador as bilateral relations improve.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LI184742.htm


LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was quoted on Wednesday as saying he expected U.S. President Barack Obama to send an ambassador to Syria soon to make good on a dialogue offer to countries previously shunned by Washington.

Assad said in an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper he hoped for a new relationship with the United States after the George W. Bush era and that Washington would act as the "main arbiter" in the stalled Middle East peace process.


We have had no ambassador in Syria since 2005

[Ohio Joe]

1. Good

The douchebags policy of not talking to "our enemies" was plain stupid. I hope President Obama is working through back channels to get this same issue resolved with some other countries as well.

[lindisfarne]

2. Maybe. We can talk without diplomatic relations. I wonder if this is somehow related to N Korea?n/t

[grantcart]

3. I think it is more closely related to a growing interest in Arab states

coming to an agreement on Israel/Palestine negotiations and building a united front against Iranian proliferation.

[karynnj]

4. I think you are right - here is a link to a recent World economic forum in Jordan

http://www.weforum.org/en/knowledge/Events/KN_SESS_SUMM_28780?url=/en/knowledge/Events/KN_SESS_SUMM_28780

Senator Kerry was part of a panel on the Middle East. Go about 41 minutes in - Kerry's comments match what you say and they are met with applause, even though he spoke frankly of things they had to do. It also seems his visit to the Gaza was a big deal to them.

[Thrill]

5. Assad must be thrilled. He's wanted this for a long time

The only thing that would make him cream his pants more is an invite to the White House

[timeforpeace]

6. Next!

[Scurrilous]

7. U.S. to send ambassador to Syria after 4 years

<snip>

"President Barack Obama has decided to return a U.S. ambassador to Syria after a four-year hiatus as talks between the two nations intensify, U.S. media reported on Tuesday.

The State Department informed Syria's ambassador to Washington, Imad Mustafa, of Obama's intention on Tuesday night, a senior administration official told the Washington Post.

By returning a senior U.S. envoy to Damascus, Obama is seeking to carve out a far larger role for the United States in the region as he works to rehabilitate U.S. relations with the Islamic world and the Arab Middle East, the newspaper said.

"It's in our interests to have an ambassador in Syria," a senior administration official told CNN."

more

[smalll]

8. This is not a good time to appoint an ambassador to Syria.

When the Iranian people are striving to gain some influence over their own less-than-democratic government, rewarding the Assad family mafia fiefdom in Damascus with the recognition of an official ambassador is not entirely appropriate.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

9. Good to see. NT