Syria reboots interior ministry as Damascus seeks to reassure West
Syrian authorities on Saturday announced an interior ministry restructuring that includes fighting cross-border drug and people smuggling as they seek to improve ties with Western nations that have lifted sanctions.
Keen to reboot and rebuild nearly 14 years after a devastating civil war broke out, the new authorities in Damascus have hailed Washington's lifting of US sanctions.
The move was formalised Friday after being announced by President Donald Trump on a Gulf tour this month during which he shook hands with Syria's jihadist-turned-interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said the interior ministry restructure included reforms and creating "a modern civil security institution that adopts transparency and respects international human rights standards".
It includes setting up a citizens' complaints department and incorporating the police and General Security agency into an Internal Security command, he told a press conference.
A border security body for Syria's land and sea frontiers will be tasked with "combating illegal activities, particularly drug and human smuggling networks", Baba said.
The restructure includes "strengthening the role of the anti-drug department and further developing its importance within Syria and abroad" after the country became a major exporter of illicit stimulant captagon, he added.
Another department will handle security for government facilities and foreign missions, as embassies reopen in Syria following Bashar al-Assad's ouster in December.
A tourism police body will secure visitors and sites as the war-torn country -- home to renowned UNESCO World Heritage sites -- seeks to relaunch tourism.
- 'Of critical importance' -
Syria's foreign ministry welcomed Washington's lifting of sanctions, calling the move "a positive step in the right direction to reduce humanitarian and economic struggles in the country".
Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said the recent US and European Union steps to lift sanctions were "of critical importance in efforts to bring stability and security to Syria".
The European Union announced the lifting of its economic sanctions on Syria earlier this month.
Sharaa met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday on his third visit to Turkey since taking power on a visit to discuss "common issues", Syria's presidency said.
Ankara is a major backer of Syria's new authorities, who are negotiating with Kurdish forces that control swathes of the northeast and that Turkey considers "terrorists".
A government delegation made a first visit Saturday to the notorious Al-Hol camp in the northeast that hosts families of suspected Islamic State (IS) group jihadists.
Trump said he wanted to give Syria's new rulers "a chance at greatness" after their overthrow of Assad.
While in Istanbul, Sharaa met with the US ambassador to Turkey, who doubles as Washington's Syria envoy.
In a statement, Tom Barrack said: "President Trump's goal is to enable the new government to create the conditions for the Syrian people to not only survive but thrive."
He added that it would aid Washington's "primary objective" of ensuring the "enduring defeat" of IS.
US sanctions were first imposed on Syria in 1979 under the rule of Bashar al-Assad's father Hafez.
They were sharply expanded after the bloody repression of anti-government protests in 2011 triggered Syria's civil war.
The new administration has been looking to build relations with the West and roll back sanctions, but some governments expressed reluctance, pointing to the Islamist past of leading figures.
- 'Recovery and reconstruction' -
The sanctions relief extends to the new government on condition that Syria does not provide safe haven for terrorist organisations and ensure security for religious and ethnic minorities, the US Treasury Department said.
Concurrently, the US State Department issued a 180-day waiver for the Caesar Act to make sure that sanctions do not obstruct foreign investment in Syria.
The 2020 legislation severely sanctioned any entity or company cooperating with the now ousted government.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the waiver would "facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria".
However, Rubio cautioned that Trump "has made clear his expectation that relief will be followed by prompt action by the Syrian government on important policy priorities".
He said lifting the sanctions aims to promote "recovery and reconstruction efforts".
Syria's 14-year civil war killed more than half a million people and ravaged its infrastructure.
The interior ministry's spokesman said around a third of the population had been under suspicion by the Assad government's feared intelligence and security services.
Analysts say a full lifting of sanctions may take time, as some US restrictions are acts that need to be reversed by Congress.
Syrian authorities also need to ensure an attractive environment for foreign investment.
bur-nad/lg/dcp/ysm
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Upturn
29 minutes ago
- Business Upturn
Bitcoin rebounds above $104,700 after initial dip on Trump-Musk fallout
Bitcoin (BTC) staged a smart recovery on Friday, climbing back above the $104,700 mark after an early dip sparked by jitters in the market following the reported fallout between former US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk. As per latest data, Bitcoin was trading at $104,731.41, up 2.18% over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency saw a volatile session, hitting an intraday low of $102,405.29 before bouncing back sharply to test a high of $105,333.00. The market had initially reacted negatively to reports of strained relations between Trump and Musk, which had raised concerns about potential policy shifts or regulatory overhang on digital assets in the US. The development triggered a broad risk-off sentiment across major cryptocurrencies during early trade. However, BTC's resilience was on display as buyers stepped in at lower levels, fueling a strong rebound. The 24-hour trading volume stood robust at 14,435.76 BTC, with $1.5 billion USDT turnover, indicating healthy participation on the bounce. Crypto market analysts noted that despite short-term headlines, underlying bullish momentum in BTC remains intact amid improving institutional interest and optimism around the next leg of mainstream adoption. Traders will be watching closely for further developments on the Trump-Musk front, along with upcoming macroeconomic cues, which could influence BTC's near-term trajectory. Note: $BTC price at the time of writing this article. News desk at
News24
37 minutes ago
- News24
Salvadoran at the heart of row over Trump's deportation policies arrested on return to the US
The Salvadoran migrant at the heart of a row over President Donald Trump's hardline deportation policies was returned to the United States on Friday and arrested on human smuggling charges. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was brought back to the United States from El Salvador and charged with trafficking undocumented migrants, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. "Abrego Garcia has landed in the United States to face justice," Bondi said at a press conference. The US Supreme Court had ordered the Trump administration to "facilitate" the return of Abrego Garcia after he was mistakenly deported in March to a notorious maximum security prison in El Salvador. But Bondi insisted to reporters that his return to the United States resulted from an arrest warrant presented to Salvadoran authorities. "We're grateful to (Salvadoran) President (Nayib) Bukele for agreeing to return him to our country to face these very serious charges," she said. In a post on X, Bukele said "we work with the Trump administration, and if they request the return of a gang member to face charges, of course we wouldn't refuse." Trump, in remarks to reporters Friday, described Abrego Garcia as a "pretty bad guy" and said he "should've never had to be returned." White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson said Abrego Garcia's return "has nothing to do with his original deportation." "There was no mistake," Jackson said on X. "He's returning because a new investigation has revealed crimes SO HEINOUS, committed in the US, that only the American Justice System could hold him fully accountable." Abrego Garcia, 29, was living in the eastern state of Maryland until he became one of more than 200 people sent to a prison in El Salvador as part of Trump's crackdown on undocumented migrants. Most of the migrants who were summarily deported were alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which the Trump administration has declared a foreign terrorist organisation. 'Administrative error' Justice Department lawyers later admitted that Abrego Garcia - who is married to a US citizen - was wrongly deported due to an "administrative error." Abrego Garcia had been living in the United States under protected legal status since 2019, when a judge ruled he should not be deported because he could be harmed in his home country. Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia's attorneys, said the government had returned him to the United States "not to correct their error but to prosecute him." "Due process means the chance to defend yourself before you're punished, not after," Sandoval-Moshenberg said. "This is an abuse of power, not justice." Bondi alleged that Abrego Garcia had "played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring" and was a smuggler of "children and women" as well as members of the Salvadoran gang MS-13. She said Abrego Garcia, who was indicted by a grand jury in Tennessee, would be returned to El Salvador upon completion of any prison sentence. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen visited Abrego Garcia in April in El Salvador and welcomed his return to the United States. "For months the Trump Administration flouted the Supreme Court and our Constitution," the senator from Maryland said in a statement. "Today, they appear to have finally relented to our demands for compliance with court orders and with the due process rights afforded to everyone in the United States," he said. "The Administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along." According to the indictment, Abrego Garcia was involved in smuggling undocumented migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and other countries into the United States between 2016 and earlier this year.
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Democratic states double down on laws resisting Trump's immigration crackdown
As President Donald Trump's administration targets states and local governments for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities, lawmakers in some Democratic-led states are intensifying their resistance by strengthening state laws restricting such cooperation. In California alone, more than a dozen pro-immigrant bills passed either the Assembly or Senate this week, including one prohibiting schools from allowing federal immigration officials into nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant. Other state measures have sought to protect immigrants in housing, employment and police encounters, even as Trump's administration has ramped up arrests as part of his plan for mass deportations. In Connecticut, legislation pending before Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont would expand a law that already limits when law enforcement officers can cooperate with federal requests to detain immigrants. Among other things, it would let 'any aggrieved person' sue municipalities for alleged violations of the state's Trust Act. Two days after lawmakers gave final approval to the measure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security included Connecticut on a list of hundreds of 'sanctuary jurisdictions' obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The list later was removed from the department's website after criticism that it errantly included some local governments that support Trump's immigration policies. States split on whether to aid or resist Trump Since taking office in January, Trump has enlisted hundreds of state and local law enforcement agencies to help identify immigrants in the U.S. illegally and detain them for potential deportation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement now lists 640 such cooperative agreements, a nearly fivefold increase under Trump. Trump also has lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools , churches and hospitals, and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials believed to be interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration. The Department of Justice sued Colorado, Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey , alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws. Just three weeks after Colorado was sued, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a wide-ranging law expanding the state's protections for immigrants. Among other things, it bars jails from delaying the release of inmates for immigration enforcement and allows penalties of up to $50,000 for public schools, colleges, libraries, child care centers and health care facilities that collect information about people's immigration status, with some exceptions. Polis rejected the administration's description of Colorado as a 'sanctuary state,' asserting that law officers remain 'deeply committed' to working with federal authorities on criminal investigations. 'But to be clear, state and local law enforcement cannot be commandeered to enforce federal civil immigration laws,' Polis said in a bill-signing statement. Illinois also has continued to press pro-immigrant legislation. A bill recently given final approval says no child can be denied a free public education because of immigration status — something already guaranteed nationwide under a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court decision . Supporters say the state legislation provides a backstop in case court precedent is overturned. The bill also requires schools to develop policies on handling requests from federal immigration officials and allows lawsuits for alleged violations of the measure. Legislation supporting immigrants takes a variety of forms Democratic-led states are pursuing a wide range of means to protect immigrants. A new Oregon law bars landlords from inquiring about the immigration status of tenants or applicants. New laws in Washington declare it unprofessional conduct for bail bond agents to enforce civil immigration warrants, prohibit employers from using immigration status to threaten workers and let employees use paid sick leave to attend immigration proceedings for themselves or family members. Vermont last month repealed a state law that let law enforcement agencies enter into immigration enforcement agreements with federal authorities during state or national emergencies. They now need special permission from the governor to do so. As passed by the House, Maryland legislation also would have barred local governments from reaching immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. That provision was removed in the Senate following pushback from some of the seven Maryland counties that currently have agreements. The final version, which took effect as law at the start of June, forbids public schools and libraries from granting federal immigration authorities access to nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant or 'exigent circumstances.' Maryland Del. Nicole Williams said residents' concerns about Trump's immigration policies prompted her to sponsor the legislation. 'We believe that diversity is our strength, and our role as elected officials is to make sure that all of the residents within our community — regardless of their background — feel safe and comfortable,' Williams said. Many new measures reinforce existing policies Though legislation advancing in Democratic states may shield against Trump's policies, 'I would say it's more so to send a message to immigrant communities to let them know that they are welcome,' said Juan Avilez, a policy associate at the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit advocacy group. In California, a law that took effect in 2018 already requires public schools to adopt policies 'limiting assistance with immigration enforcement to the fullest extent possible.' Some schools have readily applied the law. When DHS officers attempted a welfare check on migrant children at two Los Angeles elementary schools in April, they were denied access by both principals. Legislation passed by the state Senate would reinforce such policies by specifically requiring a judicial warrant for public schools to let immigration authorities into nonpublic areas, allow students to be questioned or disclose information about students and their families. 'Having ICE in our schools means that you'll have parents who will not want to send their kids to school at all,' Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener said in support of the bill. But some Republicans said the measure was 'injecting partisan immigration policies' into schools. 'We have yet to see a case in California where we have scary people in masks entering schools and ripping children away,' said state Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil. 'Let's stop these fear tactics that do us an injustice.' ___ Associated Press writers Susan Haigh, Trân Nguyễn, Jesse Bedayn, John O'Connor and Brian Witte contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
