As the US debates whether to reach out to Syria for help in calming Iraq, some close to the Syrian regime say the country would be willing to help, but only if it got something valuable in return.
Damascus certainly is interested in political dialogue with the West and wants talks with Washington, many say. But the regime of President Bashar Assad will want, in return, help on issues it cares deeply about - such as a return of the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War. The regime itself has stayed tightlipped, refusing to say what it envisions but expressing willingness to help with Iraq and broader peace deals. |