Syria launches Lebanon diplomatic mission

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Syria's move to establish formal diplomatic ties with Lebanon marks a new era in the countries' long-troubled relationship, observers say.

Syrian President Bashar Assad on Tuesday decreed the establishment of a diplomatic mission in Beirut, sparking hopes the move will lead to normalization and transparency in the frequently murky relations between the Middle Eastern neighbors, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"This draws a historical line," Sami Moubayed, a Damascus analyst and journalist told the Times. "This is a new era."

Lebanon has long been dominated by the larger Syria, which occupied the country for 29 years until 2005, exerting overt and covert control over its politics. The newspaper said many Lebanese are way of Syria's motives in establishing formal relations, especially those within its pro-United States March 14 coalition.

"It remains to be seen whether this entails real change in Syrian attitudes and not just window dressing," Oussama Safa, director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, a Beirut think tank, told the newspaper.