A Few Short Notices

I'm pretty busy with the Journal today, but a few short comments and links on the news of the day:

• The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister visits Baghdad on the 19th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. This follows restoration of an Embassy last fall. One issue is the question of continuing reparations; it does seem that, with Saddam in his grave and Iraq trying to rebuild, Kuwait might be a bit lenient on the reparations issue, but I know the resentments run deep, too.
  
• The US seems serious about an opening to Syria. Interesting that this led the website of Al-Jazeera Middle East in English (though the Palestinian talks in Cairo led the Arabic page) and The Jerusalem Post both. Admittedly, a meeting between the Ambassador and the Assistant Secretary of State isn't all that high-level, but it does mark an end to the cold shoulder we've been giving Damascus since the Hariri assassination.

More later if I get creative.