The news that Secretary of State Colin Powell will soon go to the Middle East is welcome. After much criticism of the United States for not giving diplomacy a fighting chance, it is good to see that the administration appreciates the importance of face-to-face meetings. It is especially good news that Secretary Powell plans to finish his tour with a stop in Damascus.

Many charges have been leveled against the Syrian government. They are harboring Saddam Hussein’s relatives and the Fedayeen fighting forces. They have chemical and biological weapons. They are supporting terrorism, financially and otherwise. Syria says none of these things are true.

Rather than a cross-continental show of finger pointing, now, Secretary Powell can lay out the U.S. case for the Syrians. They can explain, if possible, why the U.S. assertions are in error. The Syrians have said that everything – chemical weapons, Iraqi refugees and their support of Hezbollah – will be on the table when Secretary Powell visits. They have also said that they are open to weapons inspections, as long as all countries in the region, including Israel, are also scrutinized. Although the Israeli government is likely to balk at such a request, looking for chemical and biological weapons in all the region’s countries will quell criticism that the United States is playing favorites.

Many have accused the United States of rushing to war in Iraq without exhausting diplomatic efforts. There is now widespread speculation that Syria is the next target of U.S. aggression. It is encouraging that, in this instance, the Bush administration is willing to talk before calling in airstrikes.

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The other part of Powell’s mission in the Middle East may prove even trickier. With the war in Iraq over, President Bush has renewed his call for a settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The administration has said it will release its “road map” to Middle East peace soon after the confirmation of a new Palestinian prime minister, Mahmoud Abbas, and his cabinet. This imminent change in Palestinian leadership is a cornerstone of the U.S. plan. Now that the Palestinians have met key conditions, Secretary Powell must convince the Israelis it is time for them to take steps toward ending the 30-month Palestinian uprising that has left nearly 2,000 Palestinians and more than 700 Israelis dead. The steps the United States wants Israel to take include a halt to settlement building in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, something the Sharon government may find hard to do.

Secretary Powell must convince both the Israelis and Palestinians that peace is a reasonable hope. Then, he must lay out what both sides must do in order to get there. If he accomplishes that it may be a bigger feat than the ouster of the Butcher of Baghdad.