Admiral Brad Cooper, U.S. Central Command Commander: It's an honor to address conference attendees on the historic opportunity presented by Syria's ongoing transition. The United States and Syria share an interest in preserving peace and stability across the Middle East. Since assuming command of CENTCOM in August, I've had... the privilege of visiting Syria multiple times, including a historic trip to Damascus in September, where I met President Alshara and became CENTCOM's first commander to visit what is clearly a vibrant city brimming with hope, possibility, and opportunity. As you may have seen this past week, I publicly praised Syria for the role their security forces played in interdicting weapons intended for Hezbollah. These are the types of tangible security gains we can achieve on the ground through close cooperation with Syrian government forces. CENTCOM will continue to play an active role in supporting Ambassador Barrack's efforts to realize the president's vision of a prosperous Middle East and a stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors. We are heavily involved in enabling the U.S. interagency to engage with the Syrian government in Damascus, supporting more than a dozen visits from the U.S. interagency and Congress since last summer. And because I know it’s on your mind, yes, we were also able to fit in a few three-pointers during basketball. That's well documented. At CENTCOM, we’re all in on “hoops diplomacy.” It’s a new form that’s effective, I can assure you.show more

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