The Arab League Just Made A Disastrous Bet On Syria#Xj4Y7Vzk
BloombergMay 09, 2023
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced that it would reopen its diplomatic mission in Syria after withdrawing its representatives more than a decade ago, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Following Riyadh's decision, Syria also announced it would resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the kingdom, citing the need to reinforce bilateral ties between Arab countries, according to Syrian state media SANA.
The ongoing rapprochement between the bloody Syrian regime and the Arab world will fuel existing regional conflicts and generate new ones. Not only will Assad's narco-state exploit the opening to flood the region with illicit drugs, but Arab states will directly collide with Western sanctions if they attempt to financially support the Syrian regime. Washington must stand by its values and not only increase its vigilance against any attempts to evade sanctions but punish those who try to do so.
The gradual Syrian-Saudi reconciliation and Syria's return to the Arab League, of which it is a founding member, are further evidence of Washington's waning regional influence in a multipolar world and the failure of US-backed efforts to topple the Syrian government. Moreover, Syria's return to the Arab League will not only strengthen the Arab bloc's regional stance, but also contribute to solving the Syrian crisis and addressing implications such as terrorism, drug smuggling, and the refugee crisis.