SYRIA’S AMBASSADOR to Washington, Imad Mustafa, yesterday welcomed reports that President Barack Obama is set to appoint a new ambassador to Damascus, which is now being seen as a key player on the Middle East scene.
While acknowledging that he had had no formal notification of the decision, Mr Mustafa said: “It is good for the United States to have an ambassador in Syria . . . to enhance bilateral relations. . . it’s also a reflection on the erroneous ways of the Bush administration.”
The US withdrew its ambassador in 2005 over its charge that Syrian intelligence officers plotted with Syrian counterparts to assassinate former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Mr Mustafa, however, was not withdrawn from Washington in retaliation.
The reasons the Bush administration ostracised Syria are no longer a cause for ostracism. The recent release from prison of the four accused Lebanese officers in the Hariri murder has weakened the case against Damascus which has been co-operating with the UN team investigating the murder.
The Bush administration had claimed that Syria was encouraging Muslim fighters to cross from its territory into Iraq to attack US troops. However, Syria has cracked down on such traffic.
It also demanded that Syria end its support for the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hizbullah movements fighting US ally Israel.
But both groups are now being courted by former US president Jimmy Carter and European mediators seeking to draw them into the peace process.
Finally, during 2008 Syria took part in Turkish-brokered negotiations with Israel, revealing that Damascus is prepared to reach a peace deal with Israel and is not an obstacle to a regional settlement as some in the Bush administration had claimed.
The announcement of the appointment of a new ambassador follows visits to Damascus by senior US diplomats and military officers, the latest being a trip this month by Middle East mediator George Mitchell. Following talks with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Mr Mitchell spoke of Syria’s “integral role” in the peace process.
In response, al-Thawra, an official Syrian daily newspaper, stated: “Today there is real optimism because the two parties realise the importance of improving bilateral relations in order to achieve global peace.”
Reports that the US is pressing Syria to renounce its 29-year alliance with Iran have been dismissed in Damascus which has stated repeatedly that it will not relinquish ties with Tehran as a quid pro quo for better relations with Washington.
As proof of US goodwill, Damascus has called for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the Bush administration.
