Washington and Damascus:"..Syria will insist on reclaiming the Golan and its strategic involvement in Lebanon.."

Moshe Maoz, in Bitter Lemons, here, via Syria Comment

"...these tough Syrian positions pose crucial obstacles, indeed challenges, to Obama's endeavor to reach a strategic alignment with Assad. Washington could offer several incentives to Damascus: generous financial help, removal of Syria from the US list of countries supporting terrorism and repeal of sanctions under the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Act (2003). But Syria will still insist on two major conditions ..."