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U.S. Messages to Syria May Not Be Getting Through

(Washington Post) Editorial - Bashar al-Assad is proving to be an embarrassment for the Obama administration. In pursuit of President Obama's policy of "engagement" with U.S. adversaries, the State Department has dispatched several senior envoys to Damascus for talks with the Syrian dictator and has also nominated a new ambassador. So far Assad has responded by holding a summit with Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah leader Nasrallah, at which he publicly ridiculed the U.S. diplomatic initiative. In secret, he has stepped up an illegal and dangerous transfer of weapons to Hizbullah's forces in Lebanon. Most recently, Assad has been accused by Israel of handing Scud missiles to Hizbullah, which would allow the Iranian-sponsored group to attack every major city in Israel with one-ton warheads. What's been lacking are tangible steps by the administration to accompany more engagement with more pressure, such as more sanctions against Syrian officials and companies. The problem isn't that Assad is not getting the U.S. message. It's that he sees no need to listen.
2010-04-26 11:24:33
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