Exclusive-Syrian letter delivers response to US conditions for sanctions relief
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syria has responded in writing to a list of U.S. conditions for possible partial sanctions relief, saying it had acted on most of them but others required "mutual understandings" with Washington, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters.
The United States last month handed Syria a list of eight conditions it wants Damascus to fulfill, including destroying any remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and ensuring foreigners are not given senior governing roles.
Syria is in desperate need of sanctions relief to kickstart an economy collapsed by 14 years of war, during which the United States, Britain and Europe imposed tough sanctions in a bid to put pressure on former president Bashar al-Assad.
In January, the U.S. issued a six-month exemption for some sanctions to encourage aid, but this has had limited effect.
In exchange for fulfilling all the U.S. demands, Washington would extend that suspension for two years and possibly issue another exemption, sources told Reuters in March.
Reuters was first to report that senior U.S. official Natasha Franceschi handed the list of conditions to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani at an in-person meeting on the sidelines of a Syria donor conference in Brussels on March 18.
Shibani, in his first address to the United Nations Security Council on Friday, sought to show that Syria was already addressing the demands, including on chemical weapons and the search for missing Americans in Syria.
His public comments were consistent with the contents of Syria's private letter to the U.S., an undated copy of which was seen by Reuters. Its contents have not been previously reported.
Two Western officials and a Syrian official briefed on the letter said it was consistent with the copy seen by Reuters.
In the four-page document, Syria pledges to set up a liaison office at the foreign ministry to find missing U.S. journalist Austin Tice and details its work to tackle chemical weapons stockpiles, including closer ties with a global arms watchdog.
But it had less to say on other key demands, including removing foreign fighters and granting the U.S. permission for counterterrorism strikes, according to the letter.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed Washington had received a response from Syrian authorities to a U.S. request for them to take "specific, detailed confidence building measures'.
'We are now evaluating the response and do not have anything to share at this time,' the spokesperson said, adding that the U.S. 'does not recognize any entity as the government of Syria and that any future normalization of relations will be determined by the interim authorities' actions. "
Syria's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
FOREIGN FIGHTERS
The letter said Syrian officials had discussed foreign fighters with former U.S. envoy Daniel Rubinstein but that the issue "requires a broader consultative session."
"What can be confirmed for now is that the issuance of military ranks has been suspended following the earlier announcement regarding the promotion of six individuals," the letter says, an apparent reference to the appointment in December of foreign fighters including Uyghurs, a Jordanian and a Turk to positions in the country's armed force.
It did not say whether those appointed ranks had been removed from the foreign fighters and did not list future steps to be taken.
A source briefed on the Syrian government's approach to the issue said Damascus would delay addressing it as much as possible given its view that non-Syrian rebels who helped oust Assad should be treated well.
On a U.S. request for coordination on counterterrorism matters and the ability to carry out strikes on terror targets, the letter said the "matter requires mutual understandings."
It pledged that Syria's new government would not tolerate any threats to U.S. or Western interests in Syria and vowed to put in place "appropriate legal measures," without elaborating.
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa had said in an interview earlier this year that U.S. troops deployed in Syria were there without government approval, adding any such presence should be agreed with the state.
A Syrian official briefed on the letter said Syrian officials were brainstorming other ways to weaken extremists without explicitly giving the U.S. permission to carry out strikes, seeing that as a controversial move after years of foreign air forces bombing Syria during its war.
VOWS NOT TO THREATEN ISRAEL
A senior diplomat and another person briefed on the letter told Reuters that they deemed it addressed five demands in full, but that the remaining were left "outstanding".
They said the letter was sent on April 14 - just 10 days before Shibani arrived in New York to address the Security Council. It was unclear whether the United States had sent a reply to Syria's letter.
A Syrian official and a U.S. source briefed on the letter both said Shibani was set to discuss its contents with U.S. officials during his trip to New York.
Syria's letter said it hoped the actions taken, which it described as "guarantees," could lead to a meeting to discuss each point in detail, including reopening embassies and lifting sanctions.
On Palestinian militants in Syria, it said Sharaa had formed a committee "to monitor the activities of Palestinian factions," and that armed factions outside state control will not be permitted. It was sent just days before Syria detained two Palestinian officials from the Islamic Jihad militant group.
"While discussions on this matter can continue, the overarching position is that we will not allow Syria to become a source of threat to any party, including Israel," it said.
The letter also acknowledged "ongoing communication" between Syria's counterterrorism authorities and U.S. representatives in Amman over combating Islamic State, and said Syria was inclined to expand that collaboration. The direct talks between Syria and the U.S. in Amman have not previously been reported.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump tariffs backfiring on US textile exporters — what it could mean to America's manufacturing 'bounceback'
In January, President Donald Trump declared 'tariffs' to be 'the most beautiful word,' adding that his sweeping tariff plan would 'bring our country's businesses back.' But Jeff Bowman, CEO of Colorado-based Cocona Labs, doesn't see that happening in his own industry — textiles — or manufacturing in the U.S. more generally. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Like Trump, he attended the Wharton School of Business, but told Bloomberg he suspects the president skipped the tariff class. 'The empirical history shows that when you impose tariffs, the net effect is that you reduce the amount of business that takes place,' he said. 'And we're seeing that happen already. Costs go up, consumers pay the price eventually.' Bowman is already experiencing it. Textiles in turmoil Cocona Labs produces a compound used in sustainable thermoregulation fabrics, but doesn't manufacture the fabrics themselves. Instead, the company ships batches of the compound to manufacturers around the world that produce the finished fabrics and products — from high-performance sports apparel to bedding. In turn, those countries export the textiles and fabrics back to the U.S. or sell them to their own domestic consumers. The problem is, the manufacturers are all in countries like China that Trump has hit with tariffs. In turn, those countries have imposed reciprocal tariffs on U.S. products — like Cocona Labs' compound. Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Trump's tariffs and other countries' counter-tariffs are eating into Bowman's bottom line — making it tougher to keep costs down. In July, his company shipped a batch of the compound to China and absorbed 10% of the 16.5% tariff imposed on the product by China. 'That's not sustainable for us,' he said. 'Long term, we'd have to raise our prices. When we raise our prices, it will ultimately affect the amount of volume that's being sold. So it's not good.' Research suggests it's not good for consumers in the U.S. or abroad, raising prices for everyone and reducing sales. A 2024 Federal Reserve Board study found that the tariffs Trump imposed on other countries in his first term led to retaliatory taxes on U.S exports, 'hitting demand for the goods in many cases.' No bounceback yet Meanwhile, Trump's promised domestic manufacturing boom has yet to materialize. Certainly it hasn't boomed in Bowman's line of work. As the New York Times reports, the U.S. textile sector only employs a third of the 1.5 million Americans it once did. More generally, the manufacturing sector has actually shrunk in Trump's second term. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reports that U.S. manufacturing 'contracted in July for the fifth consecutive month,' along with employment in the industry, down for the sixth straight month. The Wall Street Journal notes while some companies are investing in U.S-based production — like Apple, which has committed $600 billion over the next four years — most companies won't make a capital commitment to set up a factory in the U.S. amid an ever-changing tariff landscape. With only 8% of the American workforce employed in manufacturing, economist and Harvard professor Robert Lawrence told CNN that the the sector will not be returning to the glory days of the late 1970s. 'These industrial and trade policies look like they were designed by an 80-year-old man who has nostalgia for the past when manufacturing was a real driver of employment opportunities,' he said of Trump's tariffs. What to read next Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Here are 5 simple ways to grow rich with real estate if you don't want to play landlord. And you can even start with as little as $10 Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Moving to Canada no easy road for these people fleeing Trump's America for political reasons
Robert Apgar-Taylor vividly remembers the day he and his husband, Robert Taylor, crossed the border into Canada, fleeing the changing political climate in their native United States in hopes of a safer life in Canada. "We took a picture at the border. It was winter," said Apgar-Taylor. "We wore our plaid shirts and hats, and showed our immigration papers with the moving truck behind us. We were so excited." To avoid confusion, this story refers to Apbar-Taylor's husband as Rob. The couple made their move to Canada in December 2022. Apgar-Taylor, a former reverend at the United Church of Christ, had just been appointed to a United Church of Canada parish in London, Ont. "When Trump was first elected [in 2016], we thought about leaving, but we thought we were overreacting and things couldn't get that bad," he said. "But things turned out to be just as bad as we imagined." Since Trump began his first term in 2017, the couple watched with anguish and became increasingly uncomfortable with the changing political climate in their country. First, there was the removal of a page dedicated to the 2SLGBTQ+ community from the White House website, just hours after Trump's inauguration in 2017. In 2020, there was the violent repression of anti-racism protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas outside the president's residence. The attack on the U.S. Capitol came a year later. "I couldn't believe that the Constitution and the safeguards of civil society were being dismantled and that people were blindly following [Donald Trump]," recalls Rob, a Washington, D.C., police officer at the time. As an openly gay pastor, Apgar-Taylor said he received a death threat while working in Maryland. But the final blow for the couple came in 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide. "Fifteen seconds after hearing the news, Rob looked at me and said, 'That's enough. We have to go,'" Apgar-Taylor recalled. Dozens of requests about resettling The two aren't the only ones who've looked to move to Canada since Trump's arrival in politics. In the two weeks following Trump's re-election in November, the couple received about 30 messages from Americans asking how to settle north of the border. The United Church of Canada, for its part, reports it has been contacted by about 20 American clergy members interested in obtaining positions in Canada since January. Previously, it received only three to five such requests annually. A few kilometres from the parish where Apgar-Taylor now works, another American oversees Sunday mass: Rev. Joshua Lawrence at First-St. Andrew's United Church, also in London. The civil rights activist from Texas moved to the southwestern Ontario city with his wife, Amariee Collins — who is of African American descent — and their young son four years ago. They made the move to escape what the pastor sees as an increase in racism and intolerance since the rise of the Trump-popularized Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. "There have been acts of violence," Lawrence said. "Black churches have been burned in the South. The issues of slavery, the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan ... white terrorism. All of these things have begun to resurface in other forms." The reverend, who believed he was ministering in a progressive parish, quickly saw new tensions surface within his own congregation. He said he received an email suggesting that his wife leave the parish. Then, he was shown the door because his values were deemed too liberal. He added that in his former parish, openly displaying his support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and the fight against racism, as he does now in Canada, would have been risky. "I often wondered if I could do it without risking threats or the church being attacked," he lamented. Because the open carrying of firearms in public places such as churches can be done legally in Texas, Lawrence became worried about the potential for violence. "We packed our things and left, perhaps faster than necessary, but we were scared and didn't know what might happen." Becoming Canadian not so simple While Apgar-Taylor and Lawrence are now enjoying their new Canadian refuge with their families, the challenge of obtaining Canadian permanent residency is far from over. Both men have work visas linked to the United Church of Canada. They expected to obtain permanent residency after six months to two years in Canada, but Ottawa's recent lowering of permanent immigration thresholds thwarted their plans. For example, Apgar-Taylor and Rob still haven't been able to become homeowners because until they obtain permanent residency, they will have to pay a 25 per cent foreign buyers' tax in Ontario. The situation forced Apgar-Taylor to postpone his prostate cancer surgery for three months, when the couple had to urgently move out of their rented apartment. "I couldn't have surgery and move at the same time," he said. "I was devastated." As for his husband, he had to give up his career in law enforcement and now works nights in a warehouse. Lawrence and his wife are often forced to live far apart since the trained midwife and ultrasound technician still hasn't been able to get the qualifications to work in her field in Ontario. She spends several weeks a month in the United States so she can earn a living. "There were times when we wondered if we had made the right decision," said Lawrence. In an emailed statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that immigration processing times "depend on various factors, including immigration targets, file complexity, security checks and the timeliness of applicants responding to requests for information." 'The door is closed' Immigration lawyer Greg Willoughby has heard similar stories from U.S.-born clients who face barriers trying to immigrate to Canada. From his small office in downtown London, he regularly gets calls from Americans, including parents of transgender children, who seek to escape the U.S. administration's policies. "When Trump was first elected, I received calls from people asking if there were specific immigration options for Americans, and the answer is 'no,'" said Willoughby. He pointed out that Americans must qualify through a points system set up by Ottawa to assess them as potential immigration candidates. "If you're not a young person in your 20s or 30s with a degree from a Canadian college or university and a few years of work experience in Canada, you won't be able to get enough points." He noted a growing number of Americans are turning to humanitarian and compassionate applications, though their chances of success are slim. "It's not the Vietnam War anymore, and we no longer welcome draft dodgers. It's the same for transgender people. The door is closed." 'A recovering American' Despite the obstacles, Apgar-Taylor, Rob and Lawrence remain hopeful of their future in Canada. "My name is Rob, and I'm a recovering American," is how Apgar-Taylor sometimes likes to open his sermons. In the basement of their home, the reverend and his husband contemplate the photos of their children and grandchildren in a family tree painted on the wall. "We miss them every day," said Robert. Both feel that returning to the United States is not an option for them. The year Apgar-Taylor and Rob moved to London, two of their friends were assaulted back home in separate attacks because of their sexual and gender identities. "You don't realize how much you're holding your breath until you don't have to hold it anymore. That's how it feels to be in Canada," said Apgar-Taylor.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump vows to target mail-in ballots ahead of midterm election
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would sign an executive order ahead of next year's midterm elections, saying he would lead "a movement" targeting mail-in balloting and voting machines across the country. "I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we're at it, Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES," he wrote in a social media post without providing any evidence. "WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections," he added. Trump, a Republican, previously signed a March 25 executive order targeting elections that has been blocked by the courts after Democrat-led states sued. States run elections separately in each of the 50 U.S. states, but Trump warned them to comply. "Remember, the States are merely an 'agent' for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do," Trump wrote. The Republican president's comments follow his meeting with his Russian counterpart on Friday, in which Trump said Vladimir Putin agreed with him on ending mail-in balloting. Trump, who promoted the false narrative that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, won the 2020 election, has long pressed his fellow Republicans to try harder to overhaul the U.S. voting system. He also voted by mail in some previous elections and urged his supporters to do so in 2024.
