This is good news if it comes true:
Syrian President Bashar Assad is offering to make peace with Israel and says he is ready to cooperate with the United States in stabilizing Iraq, a former senior State Department official said Wednesday.
In a three-hour meeting with the Syrian president last month in Damascus, Indyk said he detected a “clear change” in Assad’s views on a number of fronts.
On peacemaking, Assad offered to hold talks with Israel without preconditions, Indyk said, and had made several overtures to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that the latter rebuffed.
Looks like real discussions can now take place.
Also, looks like the W diplomacy is working well:
On Iraq, Assad “figured out he was on the wrong side” and has switched to cooperation with the U.S. occupation forces in the country, Indyk said.
On support for terrorism, Assad was responding to U.S. demands by moving some leaders of militant Palestinian groups out of Damascus, Indyk said.
I guess Syria feels better about being one of the “coerced and bribed (sic).” And well they should. They could easily have been next on the hit list.
