syriastew.com

It appears that Syria may take part in the upcoming Annapolis peace talks in Maryland, but it is unclear at what level-will it be the president or an envoy? Also unclear is whether the issue of the Golan Heights will be on table, or if the talks will focus primarily on resolving the conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Syria has been in diplomatic isolation with America for the last few years, but it looks like relations MAY be warming. Syria recently took a group of journalists and officials from several countries– including the States– to its border with Iraq, in an attempt to show increased security. America had been very upset at the apparent lack of border security, and angry that Syria had refused to turn over Baathists who had entered Syria from Iraq in the early days of the war.

Also a good sign-Syria agreed to let the Americans in to begin screening Iraqi refugees for resettlement in the states, something the Syrians had refused in the past.

Joshua Landis talks in great detail about different Syria-US foreign policy issues in the audio interview I conducted just a few days ago on this very blog-check it out.