This is a very, very positive opening, potentially.

Or he might be dead.

Everyone is playing politics, and it's very unfortunate. It reconfirms to Arab and other allies that the United States is not a friendly place for investments and financial transactions. The U.S. is missing out ... because they don't have any assurance that their assets won't be frozen some day.

It poisons an already poisonous environment.

Once you put them on the table, you have to go full speed to reach an agreement.

US-Syrian relations are extremely strained. There is virtually no diplomatic discussion between the two.