Can Syria's Assad leverage earthquake to come in from the cold?
Aid for disaster recovery could provide an excuse for some countries in the region to resume normal relations with the Syrian regime.
When a pair of massive earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Feb. 6, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad scented an opportunity.
Might the catastrophe, which has claimed at least 20,000 lives so far, more than 3,500 in Syria, help break his diplomatic isolation and ease international sanctions imposed on his regime?
By Tuesday, the first day following the quake, Assad had been buoyed by the number of phone calls from Arab leaders, most notably from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to air sympathy for devastation in government and rebel-held territory alike.
On Wednesday, a Lebanese delegation headed by Acting Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib and including several top cabinet members met with Assad in Damascus, sparking fierce debate within Lebanon where memories of Syria’s deadly meddling in the country’s internal affairs remain fresh.
