Following years of tensions with the US, Damascus is relieved to see that a new administration is now in office, Bassel Oudat writes from Damascus For Syrian officials, no US president can be as antagonistic as George W Bush. During his time in office, Damascus was branded a sponsor of terror and a partner in the "axis of evil". The former US administration imposed political and economic sanctions on Syria, including the Syria Accountability Act. Washington also imposed financial sanctions on Syrian officials, including senior security and intelligence officers. The US pulled even its ambassador from Damascus in 2005. No wonder Obama's presidency was greeted with relief in Syria. In a cable of congratulations to the new US president, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad expressed "Syria's hope for a fruitful dialogue with the US, one that is based on common interests and mutual respect and that leads to a just and comprehensive peace in the region, based on relevant UN resolutions." Damascus also expressed satisfaction about Obama's interest in world peace and his desire to endorse hope rather than fear as a diplomatic tool. More than one Syrian officials voiced optimism over Obama's policies, expecting Washington to abandon its attempts to pressure and isolate Syria. Even though Obama has only been in power a few days, Syrian officials are examining his policies favourably. His decisions to close down Guantanamo Bay and other intelligence-run secret prisons and to ban torture have been applauded. Bothayna Shaaban, presidential advisor for political and media affairs, said that Obama's inauguration speech "replaced the fear that Bush had planted among Americans and in the world with hope." Suleiman Haddad, chairman of the Syrian parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, said he expected Obama to follow through on his promises. "Historically, there are no bad relations between Syria and the American people. The problem was with [certain] US administrations, especially that of former president George W Bush... We like Obama's inauguration speech. It was impressive, and he showed keen interest in the Middle East. He also promised to communicate with all Islamic countries in the region as friends... Syria is convinced that unless security and stability are restored in the region, there will be no peace. Syria abides by principles that are derived from international law and UN resolutions," Haddad remarked. Syrian columnists sounded a precautionary note, however. Despite widespread optimism over Obama's intentions, they said, it is advisable to remember that the big decisions are made by legislative and financial organisations, not the president. The newspaper Al-Thawrah says that Obama's inauguration speech "was peppered with half-truths, showed an erroneous understanding of the [Arab] initiative and the circumstances in which it was launched, and demonstrated bias to Israel, disregard for facts, and disrespect for UN principles and decisions. Such an approach can only produce imperfect solutions and undermine the chances for peace and stability in the region." The official newspaper Tishrin notes also that Obama's remarks about Gaza "equated the victim with the aggressor" and that the US president "renewed his administration's commitment to guaranteeing Israel's security and its right for self-defence". The Syrians nonetheless want Washington on their side, especially as they pursue peace talks with Israel. President Al-Assad said more than once that it would be difficult to reach an agreement between Syria and Israel without Washington acting as a broker. The former US administration turned down a Syrian request to sponsor direct peace talks, saying that Al-Assad should comply with certain conditions first. Syria was hoping to impress Washington with changes it introduced to its policy on Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon. And it was also hoping that improved ties with France and the rest of Europe would convince the Americans that Damascus was becoming more moderate in time. The Bush administration, however, took no notice. "We want to contribute to regional stability, but to do so we have to be accepted as partner, not isolated," Al-Assad said. Obama promised to involve Syria and Iran in talks concerning the Middle East soon after taking power. He even hinted that Syria and Iran might participate in consultations leading to a two-state solution in Palestine. This was music to Syrian ears. The Syrian president insists, however, that he cannot be told how to manage his country's relations with Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran. "Good relations with Washington don't mean bad relations with Tehran," Al-Assad stated. Ghassan Abdel-Aziz Othman, secretary-general of the National Covent and member of the Central Command of the National Progressive Front, voiced hope that Obama would abolish the Syria Accountability Act and US economic sanctions. "We hope that President Obama will substitute dialogue with Syria for the actions of the former US administration. We also hope that he will abolish the unjust laws enacted in the US against Syria, especially the Syria Accountability Act. We expect Obama to remove Syria from the list of countries allegedly sponsoring terror and to abolish the economic blockade... The new US administration should act as an unbiased sponsor of the peace process... We expect the Obama administration to recognise the right of all nations to confront occupation and defend themselves against any intervention or assault," Othman said. Commending the speedy appointment of George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East, Haddad said: "What matters is not the person but the political practice. We hope that the US will pursue an even-handed policy." Syrian official circles appear set on a "wait- and-see" approach, saying that Damascus is eager to hear what Mitchell has to say. During the Doha meeting two weeks ago, the Syrian president declared the Arab peace initiative with Israel "dead". Syrian officials were therefore alarmed when Obama advised Arab countries to follow through with the "promises" of the Arab initiative and begin normalising relations with Israel. Still, the joy felt in Damascus over Bush's departure suggests that, with little effort on Washington's side, Damascus is ready to play ball if accepted as a partner by Obama.
