Just two months ago, in mid-June, when the Syrian crisis was the focus of international attention and the subject of heated policy debate, such a statement by a senior administration official would have drawn strong reactions from several quarters. But Syria has since moved from the center of attention, displaced by the coup and ongoing crisis in Egypt, the threat of an Al Qaeda terror offensive in Yemen and elsewhere, and the renewal of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
两个月前的6月中旬，当叙利亚危机还是国际社会关注的焦点和政策激烈辩论的主题时，政府高官这样的声明会在若干领域引起强烈的反响。但从那以后叙利亚已不再是人们关注的核心，取而代之的是埃及政变和持续危机、也门和其他地方“基地”组织的恐怖进攻威胁以及以巴和谈的重启。