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Unrest in Syria and Jordan Poses New Test for U.S. Policy

(New York Times) Mark Landler - U.S. officials said the uprising in Syria appeared to be widespread, involving different religious groups in the southern and coastal regions, including Sunni Muslims usually loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. The new American ambassador in Damascus, Robert Ford, has been quietly reaching out to Assad to urge him to stop firing on his people. With 61 people confirmed killed by security forces, the country's status as an island of stability amid the Middle East storm seemed irretrievably lost. For two years, the U.S. has tried to coax Damascus into negotiating a peace deal with Israel and to moving away from Iran - a fruitless effort that has left President Obama open to criticism on Capitol Hill that he is bolstering one of the most repressive regimes in the Arab world. Indeed, the crackdown calls into question the entire American engagement with Syria. Administration officials concede that Assad has been an endless source of frustration - deepening ties with Iran and Hizbullah; undermining the government of Saad Hariri in Lebanon; pursuing a nuclear program; and failing to deliver on promises of reform.
2011-03-28 00:00:00
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