Trump Wants Something From Assad—Here's What He Can Offer In Return

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Trump Wants Something From Assad—Here's What He Can Offer In Return
by David W. Lesch Kamal Alam

President Donald Trump appealed to the Syrian government at a March 19 press briefing to cooperate with the United States to find and help effect the release of photo-journalist, Austin Tice, who went missing in Syria in 2012 and, according to most reports, is being held hostage by an unknown group. Indeed, last year the Syrian government released an American blogger. And it is well-known that President Trump makes it a top foreign policy priority to return American hostages held abroad.

As such, a potential opportunity for the US and Syria to enter into a dialogue has materialized. After all, the whole premise of the talks between the US and the Taliban in Afghanistan started when an American was released last year. There has already been public acknowledgment of low-level official contact between the US and Syria last June, so it is not as though this is something completely off the charts, despite negative perceptions of the Syria government in the West.

With regional American allies such as the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain all re-establishing ties with Damascus as of late, coupled with the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Syria, this appears to be a moment when a bilateral dialogue might bear some fruit for each country.

Read more at:    https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/trump-wants-something-assad%E2%80%94heres-what-he-can-offer-return-140762