Feltman and Shapiro due in Damascus this week

March 3, 7:28 PMForeign Policy ExaminerAimee Kligman

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From left to right, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Benjamin Cardin, Roger Wicker and Mike McIntyre members of the State Foreign Relations Committee, leading a congressional fact-finding mission to Israel and Syria are seen after a press conference in Jerusalem, Monday, Feb. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

If the Bush administration reflected a total lack of engagement with the rest of the world, save for Condoleeza Rice's jet setting, it is all but the opposite in the Obama administration.

And Obama is to be applauded in his efforts to reach out to as many allies and foes as he can to make an attempt not only to restore our image, but to regain respect in the world as a democratic, successful model and a desired ally.

As Hillary Clinton continues with her mission in the Middle East, two other experts on the Middle East, Daniel Shapiro of the National Security Council and Jeffrey Feltman of the State Department, who accompanied Clinton on her trip will be visiting Syria later this week. 

One of Clinton's objectives in Israel is to discuss the thawing of relations between the United States and Syria, as well as Iran and its nuclear ambitions, one of the key concerns of the Israeli leadership.

In less than a week, 3 separate delegations visited Damascus, the last being Senator John Kerry following his trip to the Gaza Strip. During his visit, Kerry had asked for Assad's help in disarming Hezbollah, to which the compliment was returned when Assad declared that "no one can replace the United States in this situation".

As all of this is happening, a special tribunal at the Hague has opened investigations into the 2005 assassination of Lebanon's former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, where Syria is heavily implicated. It is a good thing that we now have a president who understands that all of these things are related, and cannot be dealt with piecemeal.

Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J. Burns was the last high ranking officer to visit Damascus in 2004 in an attempt to persuade Syria to stem the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq.

Not much has been revealed as to what Feltman and Shapiro would be discussing during their visit to Damascus, however, one could guess that human rights, Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Arab-Israeli conflict, stability in Iraq and Lebanon and Syria's own  nuclear ambitions.  

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