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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/27/world/middleeast/27syria.html
With Isolation Over, Syria Is Happy to Talk
[New York Times] Robert F. Worth - Today, Syria seems to be coming in from the cold. A flurry of diplomatic openings with the West and Arab neighbors has raised hopes of a chastened and newly flexible Syrian leadership that could help stabilize the region, but Syria has its own priorities. Saudi Arabia and the other major Sunni Arab nations once hoped to push Syria away from Iran through isolation, and now - like President Obama - they appear to be trying sweeter tactics. For the Syrians, the turnabout is proof that their ties with Iran are in fact useful, and accord them an indispensable role as a regional broker. Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries "have great stakes in maintaining good relations between Syria and Iran, because at difficult times they will find Syria helping them," said Faisal Mekdad, Syria's vice minister of foreign affairs. For the moment, the Syrian leadership is not feeling any real pressure to detach itself from Iran. In fact, a number of Syrian analysts have suggested that after emerging intact from the deep freeze of the Bush years, Syria has more power to dictate the terms of its new relationship with Washington.