A Syrian Trap For America ?

Michael Young is upset that the US has confirmed the appointment of the new American Ambassador in Syria:

There is a structural difficulty hindering better American-Syrian relations: Washington wants to engage Syria so that it will give up on alliances that the Syrians will never willingly surrender, because doing so would so weaken Damascus politically that it would defeat the very purpose of engagement. Syrian President Bashar Assad always wanted Obama to yield, but refused to offer anything substantial in return. By sending Ford, the president fell magnificently into the Syrian leader’s trap.

While Mr. Young has a point, there are still some unknowns out there. Who knows what the Syrians are talking about with the Saudis concerning the STL? You can argue that the very divergance of Syria’s stance from that of Iran on the Tribunal is a Syrian step in the right direction, and that perhaps deserves a reward in Washington’s eyes..