US sends ambassador to Syria after four-year absence

Published on Wednesday 24 June 2009 21:31

THE United States is to send an ambassador to Syria for the first time in four years, marking an acceleration of Washington's engagement with the Arab world.

The move reinforces President Barrack Obama's determination, outlined in his Cairo speech earlier this month, to deepen America's role in the Middle East, as he seeks to broker peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours and improve US relations in the region.

Syria is key to establishing peace with Israel, which still occupies the Golan Heights, captured from Damascus in 1967.

Yesterday, a spokesman for the US state department said: "We informed (Syria's] ambassador (Imad] Moustafa last night and, I believe early today, informed the foreign ministry in Damascus that we have made a decision to return an ambassador to Damascus.

"This is in line with the president's desire to engage Syria diplomatically to resolve a number of issues of concern to the United States."

Washington withdrew its ambassador from Syria in 2005 in protest over the assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik al-Hariri. A UN inquiry initially implicated Syrian and Lebanese officials, but later reports were more circumspect. Syria denies any involvement in the killing.