The Future of Syrian-American Relations

Syria and the United States have long had a complex and often difficult relationship, cooperating on some issues and strenuously disagreeing on others, especially terrorism and Arab-Israeli peace. Most recently, Syria opposed the U.S. war in Iraq, leading many to predict a new round of trouble for Syrian-American relations. The Saban Center at Brookings invited Buthaina Shaaban, head of foreign press relations for the Syrian Foreign Ministry, to comment on such issues at a recent luncheon. Formerly the interpreter for the late President Hafiz al-Asad, Shaaban now serves as an advisor to President Bashar al-Asad and is the chief spokeswoman for the Syrian government abroad.