State doesn't mention problems getting visas on their generally comprehensive Consular Information Sheet for Syria. Lots of warnings about prior travel to Israel, and the likelihood that you'll be conscripted into the military if you happen to have a distant relative who was Syrian. Apparently if you wish not to join the army instead of continuing your travels, that can be arranged for something between USD2000 and USD15000, although I read elsewhere that it was now a fixed-price system. Maybe two-tier, depending on whether or not you voted for George.

But the whole thing merits a lot of attention - I don't particularly look forward to deplaning anywhere where the guns are pointed at me, even figuratively.

On the positive side, a company that once called itself British Mediterranean still has no problem operating out of there. The name is now officially BMED and you're probably not supposed to remember what it stood for, of course. Are the planes still flying BA colors?

The $700 extra to start from CAI comes with some extra burdens - CAI is one of the places that you can only have one of in your European itinerary, requiring a tedious escape via Spain to avoid, and if you happen to be ending a prior trip in CMB, it seems that getting to DAM was much cheaper, too. EK has a USD195 fare DXB-DAM, and CMB-DXB is similarly reasonable, even in J. I emailed the BMED office yesterday to see if there's a ball to roll.

Thanks to everyone for the inputs, and I look forward to any other tidbits that may pop up.
(Actually, email was to a TA who's their handling agent - Sanadiki Travel Services )