All Blog Posts from World Watch

Leaders from 48 Islamic states met Monday in Turkey to begin an economic summit which may see its stated purpose overshadowed by some controversial guests, and the decades-old quest for peace in the Middle East.

The one-day gathering drew Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is engaged in a standoff with the West over Tehran's nuclear program, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, on his first trip abroad since being controversially re-elected, and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

Gul told attendees that the Arab-Israeli conflict is the basis of all conflicts in the Middle East, stressing the need to find a final solution to this issue and end the Israeli occupation of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

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Israel has unexpectedly released two Syrian men who spent 25 years in Israeli jails, the longest terms ever served by Syrians in custody of the Jewish state, Syria's state-run news agency reported Friday.

Bisher Suleiman Ahmad Maqt, 44, was freed suddenly despite having 12 years left to serve on his sentence. Also released was Assem Mahmud Ahmed Wali, who had two years left.

It was not clear yet why the men were released and whether the move was connected with an expected prisoner exchange between Israel and the Islamic fundamentalist movement Hamas, which is holding captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit inside the Gaza Strip.

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This story was filed by CBS News' George Baghdadi in Damascus.

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz vowed Thursday after two days of ground-breaking talks in Damascus to open a new chapter in bilateral relations after years of enmity.

The Saudi king's two-day visit to Damascus was the first of its kind since 2005, and the sweetening in the relationship could have significant repercussions for the region.

Washington is hoping to engage Syria in a new round of peace talks with Israel. The Obama administration and its Arab allies hope to diminish the influence of Iranian-backed groups Hezbollah and Hamas in regional affairs. Syria wields significant influence over these militant organizations, which are classified by Washington as terrorist groups.

The changing dynamic could also help to stabilize Iraq, which borders both countries, and to end a political stalemate in Lebanon — where both Riyadh and Damascus have great influence, but have for years been on opposite sides of the fence.

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Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz arrives in Damascus Wednesday to take Saudi-Syrian relations to new heights after years of bitter tension; a landmark shift in diplomacy which analysts predict may push Lebanon's political elite to find consensus on a national unity government.

The visit is the first of its kind since 2005, when bilateral relations hit rock bottom in 2005 following the assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafik Al-Hariri, who was close to Riyadh. Syria was accused of the murder and, under intense regional and international pressure, withdrew the troops from Lebanon it sent to end the civil war there. Damascus denies any involvement in Hariri's murder.

A sweetening in that relationship could have significant repercussions for the region. Washington is hoping to engage Syria in a new round of peace talks with Israel. The Obama administration and its Arab allies want to diminish the influence Iranian-backed groups Hezbollah and Hamas have over regional affairs. Syria wields influence over these militant organizations, classified by Washington as terrorist groups.

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday that Damascus would do whatever it takes to help uphold security in the neighboring country, only a few days after a high-profile U.S. military delegation visited the Syrian capital to discuss curbing the infiltration of foreign fighters across the border.

The United States and some Iraqi officials have repeatedly accused Damascus of allowing Islamist elements - mainly al-Qaeda militants - to sneak through its porous frontiers.

Maliki’s visit is his second to the Syrian capital - where he lived as a refugee during the Saddam Hussein regime - since becoming prime minister in April 2006. Iraq and Syria, which share borders, have experienced turbulent relations over the years. However, in November 2006, the two countries restored full diplomatic ties.

"Assad reiterated Syria's support of Iraq in all matters that help bolster its security and stability and preserve its integrity of land and people, affirming that Syria also supports the efforts of the national reconciliation governments for ensuring the success of the political process," an official English statement said after Tuesday's talks.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flies in Damascus on Tuesday to discuss with President Basher Al-Assad promotion of security cooperation and the infiltration of foreign fighters across the border, apparently annoyed that the Obama administration sent a U.S. military delegation last week to discuss the issue with the Syrian officials.

The two-day visit is his second to the Syrian capital - where he lived as a refugee during the Saddam Hussein years - since becoming prime minister in April 2006.

Iraq and Syria, which share borders, have experienced turbulent relations over the years. However, in November 2006, the two countries restored full diplomatic ties.

"It is not the duty of the American delegation to negotiate on behalf of Iraq," Iraq’s spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said a few days ago. "It is the Iraqi government that will directly negotiate on security with Syria."

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A senior delegation of U.S. military commanders has ended talks with Syrian officials on the best ways to curb the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq with no clue yet how much progress they've made.

State Department officials in Damascus told CBS News that Major Gen. Michael Moeller of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) led the delegation that followed up on a previous round of talks held in June.

"Talks would focus on continuing our dialogue in more details concerning opportunities for cooperation on regional security matters," the official said with no further elaboration.

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A delegation of U.S. military commanders arrives in Damascus on Wednesday to discuss with Syrian officials greater cooperation in preventing the flow of al Qaeda militants and other foreign fighters into Iraq through Syrian soil, Western diplomats said.

They said the visit, the second by the U.S. Central Command in a few months, crowned lengthy talks last month between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the Obama administration's Middle East envoy George Mitchell.

The Pentagon’s efforts overlap with a string of bombings in northern Iraq and Baghdad that had killed at least 112 people in the last several days, the worst since U.S. troops handed over security in urban areas to Iraqi security forces on June 30.

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George Mitchell, the Obama administration's Middle East envoy, hoped on Sunday his new round of talks in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad — their second in a month — would breathe new life into the faltering peace process, Washington's ultimate goal in the Middle East.

"I have just completed a very candid and positive conservation with President al-Assad," Mitchell said, reports CBS News' George Baghdadi in Damascus. "I discussed with him the prospects for moving forward on our goal of comprehensive peace in the region and improved bilateral relations between Syria and the United States."

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Writing from Damascus, CBS News' George Baghdadi reports that George Mitchell, the Obama administration's Middle East envoy, arrived in the Syrian capital Saturday night to encourage Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to support America's new broad-based, comprehensive peace drive in the Middle East.

It will be Mitchell's second visit to Syria since mid-June, as President Obama seeks to re-engage Damascus — a key regional player — to try and breathe new life into the faltering peace process. Mitchell has made five previous visits to the region.

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