Why Iraq should build bridges with its ‘new’ neighbor, Syria

Since the opposition ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Syria , Western powers have cautiously embraced Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa as the country’s new legitimate leader. The new Syrian government, consisting of technocrats and high-profile former dissidents of the Assad regime, is actively reaching out to international actors in a quest to rebuild bridges.

The Syrian president’s diplomatic visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Jordan, France, and Turkey seemed auspicious and held promising potential. However, his potential in-person attendance at the Arab Summit in person was the center of some controversy.

Baghdad’s position on the rapid developments in Syria is split between two camps: The official government and that of the powerful non-state ac