Opposition raised to U.S. envoy to Syria

JERUSALEM, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A decision to appoint a U.S. envoy to Damascus after more than five years is the result of a mistaken assessment of Syrian behavior, a U.S. lawmaker said.

Robert Ford, a top diplomatic official at the U.S. mission in Baghdad, was appointed Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic. Ford becomes the first U.S. envoy to Damascus since U.S. President George W. Bush broke ties in 2005.

William Burns, the U.S. undersecretary for political affairs at the U.S. State Department, said during meetings with Syrian officials in Damascus the move was a reflection of Washington's "interest in building better relations with Syria based upon of mutual interests and mutual respect."

U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., a staunch supporter of Israel, said the decision by Washington to appoint an envoy to Damascus was a shortsighted measure.

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post while on a trip to Israel, Engel said rapprochement with Syria was not in line with rising concerns regarding Iran.

"Iran right now is attempting to develop a nuclear bomb, is a major financer of international terrorism and Syria is right by their side," he said. "Both Iran and Syria, in my opinion, play a destabilizing role in Lebanon and I just haven't seen a sign of any moderation on behalf of the Syrians."

Supporters of the decision to appoint Ford to Damascus consider the move a way to loosen the Iranian grip on the region.