Syrian Official First To Attend Meeting Of Arab States Since Outbreak Of 2011 War

A Syrian official attended a meeting of Arab states for the first time since the Assad regime eight years ago launched its crackdown on opponents, marking another step in the war-torn country’s political reintegration into the region. Syria’s parliament speaker took part in the confab in Amman, where his Jordanian counterpart urged Middle East nations “to work towards…[allowing] Syria to regain its place” in the Arab world. A growing chorus is calling for Syria’s reinstatement in the Arab League, which suspended Damascus’ membership in November 2011 as protests in the country morphed into clashes that then descended into full-blown conflict. Notably, the United Arab Emirates in December re-opened its embassy in the Syrian capital, the same month as Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir made the first visit of any Arab leader to the city since the outbreak of war. Divisions within the pan-Arab organization have stalled Syria’s readmission, which many nevertheless view as simply a matter of time given the Assad regime’s ensured survival.