The American “Modern Diplomat” website hoped that the Arab proposal to return Bashar al-Assad, the head of the Syrian regime, to Arab and international ranks was aimed at countering Iranian influence in Syria.
The report points to the possibility of an Arab military presence in Syria under its guise, noting that accepting the offer of the Syrian regime, the US and Europe means launching a political process that “could produce a Syrian government that is less sympathetic to Iran”. Securing the return of refugees to prevent Iran from expanding its influence.
The report pointed to the “carrot” for Assad as the tens of billions of dollars needed to rebuild war-torn Syria and mitigate the humanitarian consequences of devastating earthquakes.
He expected Assad to oppose key elements of the Arab proposal, such as Russia’s refusal to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Legitimizing a regime accused of war crimes is a “hard pill to swallow” for the United States and European countries, according to the site.
