And in our diplomatic talkathon to pry Syria from Iran we get....

Hamas headquarters may leave Damascus as part of U.S.-Syria deal

NICOSIA -- Palestinian sources said Hamas political bureau chief Khalid Masha'al has been drafting alternatives to the movement's headquarters in Damascus.

The sources said Masha'al has been informed that Hamas could be forced to reduce its presence as part of a U.S. reconciliation effort with the regime of President Bashar Assad.

"It's not clear that Hamas headquarters will have to leave to Syria, but it is a possibility," a Palestinian source close to the Islamic movement said.

The sources said the administration of President Barack Obama has raised the prospect of the departure from Syria of groups deemed terrorists. Over the last two months, they said, the proposal has been discussed by both administration officials and leading members of Congress in meetings with Assad.

Masha'al has been considering the relocation of Hamas headquarters from Damascus as part of a reorganization of the leadership. Sources close to Hamas told the Kuwaiti daily Al Jareeda that this could involve the dismantling of the Hamas political bureau, based in Damascus.

Under the proposal, the Hamas political bureau would be replaced by an 18-member executive committee. The panel would consist of six members from the Gaza Strip, six from the West Bank and six from other areas.

The sources said the reorganization would result in an intensification of the rivalry between Egypt and Iran over control of Hamas. Iran has been the leading military supplier to the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip, while Egypt shares a border with the strip.

Masha'al has been mulling the transfer of Hamas to Sudan. The sources said such a transfer could also be part of a U.S. dialogue with the Islamic movement.