Although the US was hostile towards both Syria and Iraq through the 1990s, those two states themselves were on very unfriendly terms. During the Iran-Iraq War, secular Baathist Syria sided with the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Baathist regime in Iraq, showing that domestic governing ideology means little when realpolitik is in play. (For its troubles, Syria was isolated by all other Arab nations in the region except Libya.) And the two countries had no formal relations since that war.

Now, after 24 years of severed ties, Iraq and Syria will resume diplomatic relations:

The announcement of restored Iraqi-Syrian ties came during a groundbreaking visit to Baghdad by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, who was challenged over Damascus’ role in supporting the Sunni insurgency.

“We object to any neighboring country that allows itself to be a base or a transit point for the terrorist groups that harm Iraq,” Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said after meeting with the Syrian envoy.

Al-Maliki told Moallem that Damascus should not let its disputes with the United States be played out in Iraq, where the chaos and bloodshed has become “a danger that threatens all, not Iraq only.”

How this will play with Iran is unclear. Earlier this year, the defense ministers of Iran and Syria signed an agreement for military cooperation against what they called the “common threats” presented by Israel and the United States. And today, the Iraqi and Syrian presidents also received invitations from Iranian President Ahmadinejad to a weekend summit in Tehran to tackle the chaos in Iraq.

Iraqi President Talabani will attend; Syrian President Bashar Assad will not.

• BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
• « Jihad Tax
• » The nationalist arms race in NE Asia