Publication

This paper assesses the objectives and results of the US policy toward Syria during George W Bush's presidencies. It summarizes the history of US-Syrian relations, discusses the policies of the Bush presidency in the fields of economic sanctions, multilateral pressure and democracy and human rights and reviews the attempts to engage Syria with respect to the conflict in Iraq and Israel. The paper argues that the prospects for improved US-Syrian relations after the end of Bush's reign seem promising; yet, the course is likely to be anything but smooth.