Morocco Wants Syria to Cut Ties with Polisario, WSJ

Morocco wants Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government to end its support for the Polisario separatists in order to bring Syria back into the Arab fold, wrote American newspaper “The Wall Street Journal”.
The newspaper said that, besides Morocco, at least five members of the Arab League are refusing to readmit Syria into the group, including Kuwait, Qatar and Yemen.
Even Egypt, a longtime Saudi ally that has just resumed relations with Syria, is against bringing Syria back to the league, added the journal.
Some of these countries want the government to first engage with the Syrian political opposition, others demand that Damascus accept Arab troops to protect returning refugees, crack down on illicit drug smuggling and ask Iran to stop expanding its footprint in the nation.
The journal reported that a Saudi-led push to readmit Syria into the Arab League is facing resistance from some of its allies as Riyadh’s latest plan was to invite Damascus to an Arab League summit that Saudi Arabia is hosting on May 19.
The action was intended to highlight Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s diplomatic sway as competitors re-establish connections with Syria and nations like China and Russia compete with the United States for influence in the unstable area.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and some other Arab states are rekindling ties with Syria. Last month, Saudi Arabia also re-established ties with Iran in a deal brokered by Beijing.
Syria’s readmission to the Arab League would legitimize building Saudi Arabia’s ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and help bolster Prince Mohammed’s influence in Damascus and the wider region.
Egyptian Foreign Minister told the United Nations on Monday that it supports the implementation of a U.N. resolution that requires a road map to free elections in Syria.
Only a consensus of the Arab League will provide the legitimacy needed to lobby the international community over lifting sanctions.