U.S. High-Tech Mission, Backed by State Department, Goes to Syria

By Barry Rubin

Oh you know this will end well! With U.S. government approval, several American companies have sent representatives to discuss selling Syria high-tech items, apparently information technology which will, however indirectly, have military applications. Is this thanks for Syria providing advanced missiles to Hizballah and helping terrorists go into Iraq to kill Americans? Or maybe it's to say that if you abandon radical nationalism and the alliance with Iran and the dictatorship you can have all sorts of neat gizmos.

Obviously, the idea is to woo Syria away from Iran. But if you teach the Syrians (as is being done with Turkey and many other countries) that they can go on with their hostile policies and enjoy the benefits of being treated like a U.S. ally why should they change their policies?