The US Congress has voted to permanently repeal sweeping sanctions imposed on Syria under former leader Bashar al-Assad, clearing the way for foreign investment and marking a significant shift in Washington’s policy towards the war-ravaged country following the rise of a new government.
The US Congress on Wednesday permanently ended sanctions imposed on Syria under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation.
President Donald Trump had already twice suspended the implementation of the sanctions in response to pleas from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, allies of the new government headed by former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa.
However, Sharaa had sought a permanent end to the measures, fearing that as long as they remained on the books they would deter businesses wary of legal risks in the world’s largest economy.
The Senate passed the repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act as part of a sweeping annual defence package, voting 77 to 20 in favour of the legislation. The bill had already been approved by the House of Representatives and is expected to be signed by Trump.
The repeal, broadly backed by lawmakers from both parties, “is a decisive step towards giving the Syrian people a real chance to rebuild after decades of unimaginable suffering,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Caesar Act, named after an anonymous photographer who documented atrocities in Assad’s prisons, severely restricted investment and cut Syria off from the international banking system.
The law was intended to prevent an influx of foreign businesses rebuilding Syria at a time when it appeared Assad had prevailed after more than a decade of brutal civil war. The conflict triggered a massive flow of refugees towards Europe and helped fuel the rise of the Islamic State extremist movement. Sharaa’s fighters seized Damascus a year ago in a lightning offensive.
Sharaa — now dressed in a business suit and seeking improved relations with the West — has impressed Trump, including during their first meeting on the US leader’s May trip to Riyadh.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)