The United States has denounced any normalization of relations with the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, insisting that the recent restoration of ties with the Palestinian Hamas illustrated its diplomatic isolation.
President Al-Assad, who is gradually renewing contact with Arab countries after 11 years of a war he largely won, welcomed a Hamas delegation to Damascus on Wednesday.
"
The opening of Mr. Assad's regime to this terrorist organization only reinforces the isolation
" of the latter for us, declared Ned Price, spokesman for the American State Department.
“
It goes against the interests of the Palestinians and undermines international efforts to fight terrorism, in the region and beyond
,” he added to the press.
"
We will continue to reject any support aimed at rehabilitating Mr. Assad's regime
," he insisted.
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Hamas, which controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, was a close ally of Mr Assad before the relationship deteriorated after the start of the war in Syria in 2011, with the Palestinian movement criticizing the crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
This return to privileged ties comes as Hamas is also getting closer, with the help of Iran, to Lebanese Hezbollah, another supporter of the Damascus regime.
Bashar al-Assad went to the United Arab Emirates in March, a first visit to an Arab country since the start of the war, a symbol of a normalization denounced by Washington.