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When a country recalls an ambassador, it’s a sure sign of disagreement between nations and often a precursor for war.
Conspicuously missing from the American embassy in Damascus, Syria is the U.S. ambassador. There hasn’t been one there since 2005.
The U.S. and Syria maintain diplomatic relations, however, with an American charge d’affairs heading the embassy in the Syrian capital.
This is less than ideal and reflects the dysfunctional diplomatic relations between the two countries — a situation adding to an already unstable Middle East.
There have been breaks in formal relations throughout the 20th century.
Fast forward to 2005, when Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated by a car bomb in Beirut.
Hariri was a known critic of the Syrian presence in Lebanon, and this led many to point an accusing finger at Damascus after he was killed.
An independent United Nations investigation is still ongoing, and nothing has been determined.
The U.S. ambassador was recalled to Washington in the days following the assassination and has not been sent back.
The recall of the ambassador was preceded by the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, which sought to punish Syria for its continued presence in Lebanon. President George W. Bush signed the bill.
That presence, was agreed to by then President George H.W. Bush “in return for Syrian support of the United States in the first Gulf War against Saddam Hussein,” according to Joshua Landis, internationally-recognized Syria expert and co-director of the OU Center for Peace Studies.
“Starting in 1987, there were already sanctions in place against Syria for its support of Hezbollah and Palestinian militant groups.”
“So letting Syria maintain its presence in Lebanon didn’t really affect anything overall. But, since Syria didn’t support the 2003 Iraq War, the current administration decided to diplomatically isolate Syria,” Landis said.
That move seemed illogical, as Syria had been aiding the U.S. fight against al-Qaeda by sharing valuable intelligence after 2001. “The Syrian government is very much anti-Qaeda,” Landis said. “They were more than happy to work with the United States on that front.”
Clearly, that cooperation ended after the aforementioned law and the recall of the ambassador.
Currently, the U.S. State Department mandates a ban on official dialogue between its employees and Syrian officials. As with all such wide-ranging directives, this is not always followed but is in place nonetheless.
The vast majority of American diplomatic dialogue with Syria is thusly muzzled. Seeking a statement from the State Department proved fruitless, as its press department duly informed the author that they only work “with major news sources. No college papers.”
The ramifications of maintaining this virtual diplomatic silence with Syria are apparent, given Syria’s potential as a stabilizing force in the three biggest challenges facing America in the Middle East: al-Qaeda-linked terrorism, the Iraq insurgency and a lasting peace.
Syria has actively rooted out al-Qaeda, and Syrian-supplied intelligence greatly aided the American fight against terrorism from 2001 to the 2003 end of intelligence cooperation.
Even the State Department acknowledges Syria “has taken some steps to tighten controls along the Syria-Iraq border.”
The border is still not completely under control, partly because Syria has no reason or incentive to do so. The fighters allegedly crossing the border do not threaten Syria’s interests. Why should Syrian officials take extra steps to aid the U.S. when it is seeking to isolate Syria?
Syria exerts strong influence on Hezbollah, one of the most active militant forces in the Middle East.
Consequently, Syria has the power to curb Hezbollah attacks on Israeli territory, which, in turn, would make Israeli-Arab relations that much closer to a complete peace.
Syria has already shown a willingness to not escalate conflicts by withholding its forces from combat during the most recent Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Furthermore, Syria is the only nation that has continued accepting Iraqi refugees, even after more than a million have already entered.
Syria arguably has the most to offer to the U.S. in terms of bettering the overall situation in the Middle East.
It is true Syria is not a democratic country, but countries equally lacking in democracy, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have full diplomatic relations with the U.S.
It has ties with Hezbollah, which is classified as a terrorist group by the U.S. But Syria’s connection with Hezbollah is currently the only sure way to exert some control over that group’s activities.
Given the current situation, not maintaining extensive dialogue is “childish,” according to Imad Moustapha, the Syrian ambassador to the U.S.
In his recent lecture at OU, he reflected, “if you have a problem with what someone is doing, you talk with them more, not less.”
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