RE-ENTRY OF SYRIA IN ARAB WORLD

RE-ENTRY OF SYRIA IN ARAB WORLD BEIRUT — Syria’s return to the Arab fold, although not officially on the agenda, dominated the Arab League’s social and economic summit held in Lebanon on January 19 and 20. In 2011, Syria was suspended from the Arab League after the government brutally quelled what began as peaceful protests demanding political and economic rights. As the war is drawing to a close and Bashar al Assad - supported by Russia and Iran - seems set to continue as leader, Arab countries are moving towards patching-up their relationships with Assad. Hezbollah and its allies in Lebanon used the timing - in mid-December both the UAE and Bahrain reopened embassies in Damascus - to create just enough noise at the summit to bring the issue of Syria’s inclusion to a head. Gebran Bassil, the Foreign Minister and a member of the leading Christian party, which is in a political alliance with Hezbollah, said the failure to invi...