HOPE AND CHANGE: Commerce Department Waives Syria Sanctions. “The dream scenario is that with the Bush presidency out of the way and Obama flashing a smile, Syria’s President Bashar Assad will break off his romance with Tehran and partner with Washington in bringing peace to the region. The realistic scenario is that Obama, hand extended to Damascus, is setting himself up for a sucker punch–potentially at great cost not only to America and Israel but to other democratic states and any democratic dissidents inside Syria who have not yet vanished into the care of Assad’s secret police.” I guess it all depends on whether Obama can charm the barbarians or not.