In terms of making progress in rehabilitating relations between itself and countries in the Middle East, the United States could have only trumped its reengagement with Syria by opening direct dialogue with Iran. Washington and Damascus have been openly opposed to each other for the past six years and suspicious of each others motives for many decades longer. The animosity between the two countries has only been eclipsed by that between the US and Iran.

But last week's meeting between William Burns, the US under secretary of state for political affairs, and President Bashar al-Assad suggests that Syria's period of international isolation is coming to an end and that Washington has realized that if it wants to successfully engage with the Middle East, it must do so with the help of Damascus.

President Barack Obama has made reengagement with the Middle East one of his main foreign policy platforms after the damage caused to relations by the administration of George W. Bush. But Obama has seen his efforts to directly engage Iran and broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians founder in his first year in office; his approach to Syria may be aimed at seeking a new way to ease the deadlock by approaching rival nations with the support of Damascus.

While the strained ties between Washington and Damascus stretch back much farther than the low points of the Bush presidency, no high-level meetings have taken place since the US slapped sanctions on Syria, froze diplomatic relations and recalled its ambassador in 2005.

Washington's ties with Damascus had been strained by Syria's three-decade-old alliance with Iran and US allegations of meddling in the affairs of its eastern neighbor Iraq. Syrian support for Lebanon's Shiite militant group Hezbollah and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza have also proved a stumbling block.

The murder of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in February 2005 in a bombing blamed on Syria also strained relations.

But Obama's decision to appoint US diplomat Robert Ford as the new ambassador to Syria, lift an advisory travel warning for US citizens traveling to Syria, and reopen direct lines of communication have been welcomed by Damascus, although both sides accept that there would be challenges ahead as they move toward restoring diplomatic engagement.

"The US have an interest in an rapprochement to Syria since there is a hope that Syria could play a more constructive part in the future of the region," Konstantin Kirsten, a Middle East expert at the German Council for Foreign Relations, told Deutsche Welle. "From the US side, Syria might be hoped to take a more pragmatic stance in the region and at the same time distance itself more from its close ally Iran."

Obama hoping for Syrian progress on Iran to silence critics

Obama has already begun to feel the heat over this rapprochement at home after Republicans once again turned on the president for his open-handed approach to governments considered hostile to Washington, with some criticizing the move toward Syria as a "reckless engagement" and a reward for an enemy of the United States.

The president will be hoping that the returns on his act of faith will be enough to silence his critics, especially as he considers Syria's involvement integral to the peaceful resolution of the on-going stand-off with Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian situation.

Syria is said to be determined to help its ally Iran and the West engage in a "constructive" dialogue over Tehran's contested nuclear program, although Damascus has made it clear that increased sanctions are not the answer.

Dr. Muriel Asseburg, head of the Middle East and Africa research division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, believes that Washington remains realistic as to how far Syria will go to help with the Iranian problem.

"When it comes Iran, there is no false hope in the US that it could use Syria to pressure Iran on its regional posture and its nuclear program," she told Deutsche Welle. "However, the US does want Syria to distance itself from Iran’s radical stances and to realign its geopolitical orientation toward the West and the pro-Western Arab states."

US, Syria want dialogue over Israel but for different reasons

On the Israel-Palestinian question, Syria's Assad has made it clear that the United States has an important role in the peace process and a warming up of Syrian-US diplomatic ties could one day help the resumption of direct negotiations between Syria and Israel. He says that Washington must "adopt a policy which pushes Israel to accept the demands for peace."

Dr. Asseburg believes that while Syria sees the need for US involvement in the peace process to bring Israel to the table, Damascus needs the US involved for its own purposes.

"In terms of the Syrian-Israeli dimension, the US has an interest in calming the current tensions and set a more positive tone. The rhetoric between Israel, Syria and Lebanon over the past weeks has escalated considerably and there has been talk of the next war implicating Syria and being even worse than the last. The US has no interest in letting this rhetoric escalate even further."

"Syria also knows that it will see no progress in regaining the Golan Heights if the United States is not involved in a peace process with Israel," she added.

Washington wants Damascus to exert influence on militants

The United States is also keen to cooperate with Syria in its fight against international terrorism although Syria's stakeholding in Lebanon through Hezbollah is likely to prove a long-term impediment to better ties as is Syrian support for Hamas.

"The US is interested in Syria having an impact on militant groups such as Hamas which are based in Damascus," Dr. Asseburg said. "Syria has shown in the past that it is willing to impact on these groups and pressure them into taking a more conciliatory approach."

Syria wants US recognition in return

While the US has much to gain from its rapprochement with Syria, it is not a one-way street.

"In terms of what Syria wants in return, Damascus would be looking for US sanctions to be abolished," Dr Asseburg said. "While some in Syria say that the sanctions have had little effect, the US sanctions are felt in the financial and hi-tech industries as well as Syria’s air fleet."

"Syria also wants to increase its options by having good relations with the US and no longer being isolated by such an important power," she added. "They also do not like being considered as being part of what George W. Bush termed the 'Axis of Evil.' Syria has a strong interest in being seen as part of the solution not part of the problem."

Author: Nick Amies
Editor: Rob Mudge