Global Arab Network | After years, Washington sending ambassador to Damascus

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After years, Washington sending ambassador to Damascus

President Barack Obama will send an ambassador back to Syria, a US official said today, filling a post that has been vacant for 4 years and marking an acceleration of Washington's engagement with the Arab world.

"A decision has been made to send an ambassador back to Damascus," a senior State Department official told AFP on the condition of anonymity. "The process, however, will take some time."

The move reinforces Obama's determination, outlined in his Cairo speech earlier this month, to deepen America's role in the Middle East as he seeks to broker peace among Israel and its Arab neighbors and improve U.S. relations in the region.

According to AP, Jeffrey D. Feltman, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, informed Syrian ambassador to Washington, Imad Moustapha, of the plan on Tuesday night.

Moustapha, said that U.S.-Syrian relations "were headed in the right direction" and away from the freeze during the Bush administration.

Nevertheless, Mustapha 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."

"This decision reflects the administration's recognition of the important role Syria plays in the region and our hope that the Syrian government will play a constructive role to promote peace and stability in the region," said the administration official. "The reinstatement of an ambassador is a concrete example of the administration's commitment to use all our tools, including dialogue, to address our concerns."

A senior State Department official said that while the decision to return an ambassador to Damascus has been made, the move will not be made immediately. The official also spoke anonymously because the move had not been announced.

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.

Ahmed Salkini, a spokesman at the Syrian embassy in Washington, told AFP he could not confirm reports about the United States sending an ambassador back to Syria, but understood that Washington is moving in this direction.

"There has not been an official communique presented to us regarding the appointment of a new us ambassador to Damascus," Salkini said.

"With US officials and non-US officials, our understanding is that this could be happening soon, but there has not been any official communique," he added

"If these reports are true, this is definitely a step in the right direction and definitely a sign of sincerity from the Obama administration about engagement with Syria," said Salkini.

The new White House of President Barack Obama has moved to re-engage Damascus, a key regional player, as it seeks to breathe new life into the faltering peace talks.

"There is a lot of work to do in the region for which Syria can play a role. For that, it helps to have a fully staffed embassy," another US official told the New York Times Wednesday.

Syria also remains a key to establishing peace with Israel, which still occupies the strategic Golan Heights, captured from Damascus in the 1967 war.

Syria held indirect talks with Israel last year, mediated by Turkey. But the discussions were halted during the Israeli offensive on Gaza in December and January. Syria has since said it was ready to resume indirect talks with Israel's new hard-line government as long as they focus on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Golan.

Syria: Israel has no willingness for peace

Syria said it could not make peace with Israel because the Jewish state was not committed to coming to a deal.

"Achieving peace requires an Israeli partner and commitment to international law, United Nations resolutions and the land for peace principles," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said after meeting his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias.
"This Israeli partner does not currently exist," he added.

Syria has repeatedly said it wants to resume peace talks with Israel while demanding a commitment from the Jewish state to withdraw from the whole of the Golan Heights, which have been under Israeli occupation for the last 43 years. (AFP, AP, Reuters)

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