“Consideration is being given to going to Damascus and Tehran,” a Western diplomat said of the U.N. delegation, led by Vijay Nambiar. “The key to unlocking this is Syria and Iran. You have to talk to the powers behind the throne.”
Diplomats said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan would decide in the coming days whether to dispatch the team, which has already held talks with Lebanese and Israeli leaders.
One diplomat said Washington’s goal was to “drive a wedge” between Syria and Iran over Hizbollah.
Syria has offered to play a constructive role, but there is no sign the Bush administration is ready to turn to a country it accuses of sponsoring terrorism and helping insurgents in Iraq.
Israeli planes have bombed near the Syrian border and Israel has repeatedly accused Damascus of sending fresh weapons supplies to Hizbollah — charges denied by Syrian officials.
