The Case for Talking to Syria
As distasteful as the Syrian government is, Washington must reconsider its policy of non-engagement with Damascus. Negotiations alone cannot fix the U.S.-Syrian relationship, and we should hold no illusions about the regime of Bashar al-Assad. But failure to talk with Syria limits U.S. ability to support attempts at reform and cuts us off from a major Middle East actor.
My many trips to Damascus since Sept. 11, 2001, have left me with little faith that action will follow commitments made by the Syrian regime. To put it mildly, Syria has a credibility problem.
So why should the United States talk with a dictatorship that supports terrorism, stokes conflict in the Middle East and fails to meet the commitments it makes?… Seguir leyendo »