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Source: http://www.nysun.com/editorials/the-syrian-mirage/76866/
The Syrian Mirage
[New York Sun] Editorial - Is it possible, and if so is it proper, to reach an agreement with a state such as Syria? Except for its one-time association in 1991 with the American-led coalition that ousted Saddam Hussein's invasion force from Kuwait, Syria has been on the wrong side of the war against Islamic terror. It sponsors terrorist groups and offers them safe haven; it is loyal to Iran's objectives and backs Iran's allies, including Hamas and Hizbullah. Clearly American interests do not lie in a peace with the current regime in Damascus. In previous talks, it was understood that Syria expected Israel's assistance in securing its role in Lebanon and righting relations with America. That is obviously not a role that it would benefit Israel to play. The 1999 talks may have, in theory, resolved a few details of the dispute, but they did nothing to resolve the strategic and moral differences between Syria and the free world. The likelihood is that the talks will founder on the Syrian regime's epiphany that peace with the West would bring new dangers from the Iranian-backed factions. So peace with Syria will have to await a democratic revolution in Tehran.