Maybe not, there is a light chance that Obama is trying to conquer minds & hearts in the region, so there would not be any demands of the kind Syria is planning to place. Maybe Obama is just trying to talk syria out of the situation, in a way, because once they say something in Syria theres no going back. They just can´t, it wouldn´t be wise taking their cultural background in count. Syria would go to war before loosing their pride and the only thing you can compare pride to in the area is saving your honor, so maybe somebodys trying to save somebodys honor here? This is the way that Syria would find out too that they are not being subestimated and underrated in a way. That they are considered as a player in a level field, so to say. Nobodys going nowhere in the region while only one of the players is taken seriously, and backed by USA. Arab countries prefer to rot before loosing their pride and honor. They have nothing to lose, they have their ways of obtaining currency and deals from abroad, so they are not that bad off as many would think. Syria has a remarcable history too, this something that is frequently overseen, and they take pride in it, so there´s that history thing too here what makes them feel strong.
Syria is one of the tougher parts to negotiate with in the region but with some luck and hard work some good deals for Israel and the world could be achieved.
History plays so big a picture in the midle east, and the mediterranean by the way, and this is a key factor to everything. To know their future, know their history...
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama pledged to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Wednesday that if elected, he will coordinate his policy on Iran with Israel. Iran was the major issue of the senator's hour-and-a-half meeting with Olmert, which was also attended by advisers of both leaders. Olmert told Obama that the timetable on Iran was very short. He said Israel believed that Iran could achieve the technology to manufacture a nuclear bomb by the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010. He said there was no time for long-term policy and that action had to be taken quickly.
_________________________________[l]http://samsonblinded.org/news/[/l]
Since Israel has had WMD for 20+ years, why should they not give back territory they took by force on the pretext of needing buffer "land" that they have exploited for their own benefit and considerable profit ever since? If they REALLY want peace with their neighbors, rather than domination, then this is a good start. It has been 42 years after all, and innumerable ignored U.N condemnations(remember Saddam's Iraq and what happened to him for doing the same) since. or perhaps they were hoping people might forget and by default...well I for one haven't forgotten the USS Liberty - or Jonathan Pollack for that matter. "ALLIES"? I think not.