Syria's return to Arab League met with mixed reactions.

The Arab League's decision to readmit Syria after 12 years is a symbolic victory for President Bashar Assad and a sign of the United States' waning role in the region. However, it is unlikely to bring the reconstruction dollars Assad is hoping for or the changes Syria's neighbors want. The conflict has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half of the country's pre-war population. While some Arab countries have moved towards reestablishing diplomatic ties, others remain skeptical and demand a political solution to the conflict, the return of refugees, and the reduction of drug trafficking.