June 24th, 2009 by Blake

Today an official at the Department of State revealed unofficially that the U.S. will re-appoint an ambassador in Damascus as the next step in reestablishing positive relations with Syria.  Imad Mustafa, ambassador to the U.S., was informed yesterday of the plan and relayed the information to the Syrian Foreign Ministry. In 2005, the U.S. recalled its ambassador in protest over the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, which was widely blamed on Syria.

Scott Wilson at the Washington Post reports that “the loss of U.S. diplomatic leverage in the region has left a vacuum filled in large part by Iran. Returning the ambassador to Syria, senior administration officials said, represents the restoration of a sustained diplomatic presence in a secular Arab country central to many U.S. interests in the region.”

Posted in Diplomacy, Iraq, Syria, US foreign policy |