[ad_1]
Reuters
Washington is trying to prevent the Arab states from restoring relations with Damascus, and even rushing to threaten sanctions, the Washington Post quoted diplomatic sources as saying.
According to US diplomatic sources, the paper said the Arab countries' attempts to re-establish relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after having virtually triumphed over the civil war, have met resistance from the United States, which have even taken advantage of the threat of sanctions.
The US newspaper pointed out that the starting point was the United Arab Emirates decision of 27 December 2018, which announced the opening of its embassy in Damascus, which ceased operations in 2011 with the beginning of the conflict in Syria. Several Arab countries then expressed their desire to improve their relations with the United States. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The report attributes the reason why those who initially supported political opponents in Assad now have to face the fact that the Syrian president will remain in power with a high probability for the foreseeable future, adding that the administration of President Donald Trump is trying to actively to dissuade his allies from the Arab world to get closer to Syria, and in this way resort to the threat of sanctions.
According to the newspaper, the obsession with the Iranian role is what drives the Arabs to move closer to Damascus.
Arab governments have watched with concern to increase the influence of their non-Arab rivals in Syria in their absence.
After Syria was expelled from the Arab League the first year of its crisis, its fate is now decided by the Russia-led peace process, which includes Turkey and Iran.
But the Arab states have not yet reached a consensus on Syria's return to the Arab League and states in the region such that Saudi Arabia and Egypt still oppose this. initiative, diplomats said.
Even the UAE remains determined not to participate in Syria's reconstruction efforts before a political settlement of its crisis is achieved.
Observers said Assad's visit to Tehran last week, the first since the start of the war in Syria, could weaken the position of Arab parties calling for normalization in Damascus as a way to convince the Syrian leader of stay away from Iran, but these parties do not lose hope of crystallizing a more open Arab collective position. Syria in the future.
Russia, unlike the United States, is making efforts and urging its partners in the Arab world to start building diplomatic bridges with Damascus.
The article reflects only the newspaper's opinion
[ad_2]
Source link
