AMMAN -- A former Lebanese general who had once fought a bloody "war of liberation" against Syria received a warm welcome in Damascus Wednesday as he embarked on a historic visit that may be instrumental in normalizing relations between the two neighboring countries.

There was much ado about very little last week, as British media covered the visit of Foreign Secretary David Milibands visit to the Middle East. In particular, his trip to Syria was feted as an exploit of British diplomacy, with various journalists and analysts describing the event as a move to "bring Syria in from the cold" and to lead it back into the greener pastures of the Anglo-American sphere (also known as "the international community").

One leader that could not wait for U.S. President George W. Bush to be out of office is Syrian President Bashar Assad. Assad profusely congratulated his favored candidate: Barack Obama. President-elect Obama should be careful in his dealings with the Syrian regime. In fact, quite possibly, Assad might be pondering if he could get away with reoccupying Lebanon.

There is an old Arabic proverb stating that "he who gets fat, will get thin, and he who goes up in the air will come down." The simple meaning is that nothing is static in the affairs of life and each epoch has its beginning and end.

Time is running out for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He will have to decide in the next few weeks whether his overture to the West is genuine or not. To Assads credit a slew of events are pointing to his good faith, but he is still afraid to totally break loose from Irans grip. Whatever decision the Syrian president makes will have a great impact on the region.

The next U.S. president will have precious little time to engage leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran in "head-to-head negotiations" over their nuclear weapons program. Whoever becomes the next president will temporarily be required to shelve efforts to bridge the gap between Palestinians and Israelis (efforts that have proven to be a diplomatic minefield for the last two U.S. presidents – at least) and focus attention exclusively on the impending military confrontation with Iran.

AMMAN -- The foreign ministers of Syria and Lebanon formally launched diplomatic ties in a historic move that many hope marks the beginning of a new relationship that sees them as equals. But some observers in Beirut say they need time to fully trust Damascus.

AMMAN -- Syrian President Bashar Assad has made his declared intention to establish full diplomatic ties with Lebanon official. He issued a decree that would see embassies in Beirut and Damascus for the first time in their history.

JERUSALEM -- Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, has suddenly had an epiphany on his personal road to Damascus as he tries to portray himself as a prophet of peace weeks before he will be forced to step down.

There has been much talk in recent days about Syria and its intentions regarding Israel. One question that keeps regurgitating is whether Syria wants war. The short answer is: No. The long answer is: No, absolutely not.