Getting Syrious

Hmm, wonder what prompted this gesture of "goodwill" on Assad's part:

Iraqi officials said Sunday that Syria captured and handed over Saddam Hussein's half brother, a most-wanted leader in the Sunni-based insurgency, ending months of Syrian denials that it was harboring fugitives from the ousted Saddam regime. Iraq authorities said Damascus acted in a gesture of goodwill.

Perhaps he gave up harboring mass murderers for Lent.