German foreign policy toward Syria

"Since July 2011, Berlin has redoubled its efforts to win influence with the Syrian opposition. July 5, 2011, an exiled Syrian delegation, led by Radwan Ziadeh, came to the German Foreign Ministry for talks.[1] "It was a good meeting," recalled the head of the delegation 3 weeks later. "Germany is in agreement with us."[2] Ziadeh, who had gone into exile in 2007, soon began working for the US government-financed "United States Institute of Peace" (USIP), an institution studying possible interventions in conflicts around the world. Toward the end of July 2011, it was learned in Berlin that the director of the foreign ministry's Regional Desk for the Middle East, Boris Ruge, had been to Damascus twice for talks, also with representatives of the opposition. Ziadeh, in the meantime, had taken on the function as "Director for Foreign Relations" for the Syrian National Council (SNC), an exile organization, strongly influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, which western governments have declared to be the "legitimate representatives" of the Syrian people. In cooperation with USIP, the German Chancellery-financed German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) has been convening in-depth talks in preparation for the aftermath of the overthrow of the regime, with about 45 Syrian exiled representatives of the opposition in the German capital. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[3]) With the same objective in mind, the German government has established in Berlin an office, under German chair, for organizing the economic framework for a post-Assad Syria. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[4])" (thanks thomas)