Up until very recently, Syria had its eyes firmly fixed on the spoils to be offered by the United States and its western allies. Today, the same may not be so true. For several years Damascus has been hoping to realign with the West and welcome famous politicians and diplomats to the “new” Syria. With the exception of the chairman of the US Senate’s foreign relations committee, John Kerry, the US undersecretary of state, William Burns, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy, they have been left largely disappointed. For critics of Syria who say Damascus has never really conceded much to encourage Washington to take a telling step, there are legitimate explanations. The killing of eight Syrians in an American helicopter attack in October 2008 did not help, while the painfully slow return of an American ambassador to Damascus has been further delayed by the US Senate. President Barack Obama, once the shining light of the Damascene intellectual scene, renewed the Syrian Accountability Act last month. So making friends with the West is proving hard work.
Syria has also failed to follow up on a trade deal with the European Union; the need was less pressing both for political and economic reasons since relations with Turkey have improved.
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