2000   Bashar al-Assad is elected as president of Syria in a national referendum.

2002   The United States State Department releases a report identifying seven state sponsors of terrorism including Syria, North Korea, Iran, Libya, Iraq, Cuba, and Sudan.

2005   Syria withdraws the last of its military forces from a military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29-nine year military domination of that country.

2005   Syrian Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam resigns.