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The Obama Administration Reaches Out to Syria: Implications for Israel
Publication Date: March 2009
Publisher(s): Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Author(s): David Schenker
Funder(s): Wechsler Family Foundation
Funder(s): Wechsler Family Foundation
Series: Jerusalem Issue Brief v.8 no.23
Special Collection: Berman Jewish Policy Archive
Topic: Government (Foreign relations)
International relations (International peace and security)
Keywords: peace process; syria; israel; barak obama
Type: Report
Coverage: United States Syria Israel
Abstract:
In early March, two senior U.S. officials traveled to Damascus for the highest-level bilateral meeting in years, part of the new administration's policy of "engagement." Based on Syria's track record, there is little reason to be optimistic that the Obama administration will succeed where others have failed. Damascus today remains a brutal dictatorship, which derives its regional influence almost exclusively through its support for terrorism in neighboring states and, by extension, through its 30-year strategic alliance with Tehran.