Latest news with #CaesarSyriaCivilianProtectionAct
The Hill
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
House Republican moves to permanently repeal sanctions on Syria
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) on Wednesday filed text to permanently repeal legislation that imposed strict sanctions on Syria, following President Trump's move to unwind penalties on the country following the ousting of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad. Wilson moved to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, filing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), considered must-pass legislation that is usually voted on by the end of the year. 'I am trying to use every mechanism possible to repeal this law as soon as possible,' Wilson said in a statement to The Hill. 'As the Caesar law was passed and extended through the National Defense Authorization Act, I am hopeful that the repeal could also move through the same vehicle. Unless we repeal the law, investors will not take the risks required for long term investment in Syria which will be necessary to Make Syria Great Again.' While Trump announced in May that he was lifting all sanctions on Syria, he is only able to issue a 180-day waiver to the Caesar Act permitting international transactions with Syria's Central Bank and government ministries. Repealing the legislation in total would allow investors to make longer-term commitments without the threat of sanctions going back into effect. The Caesar Act's 2019 passage was celebrated as landmark legislation imposing the toughest sanctions regime against Assad for gross human rights violations carried out under his rule and throughout the country's civil war, which began in 2011. The bill was named for a Syrian whistleblower, Fared al Madhan, who was code-named Caesar and exposed the Assad regimes torture and killing of detainees. Al Madhan was a photographer who worked with the Syrian military and smuggled out photographic evidence of war crimes. Congress renewed the Caesar Act in December for five years, shortly before Assad was ousted in a shocking offensive by now interim-Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Caesar supporters had advocated for the 2019 law's renewal in the face of the former Biden administration's quiet negotiations allowing countries to normalize with Assad and ease sanctions. But with HTS's lightning takeover of the country, advocates supporting Caesar's renewal are now pushing Congress to repeal the law and lift sanctions on the country. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio removed the terrorist designation on HTS. The State Department is also expected to review Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism for repeal.
Roya News
30-06-2025
- Business
- Roya News
Trump signs executive order lifting Syria sanctions
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday dismantling the core framework of economic sanctions on Syria, citing the need to support the country's recovery after over a decade of civil war. The move removes a series of longstanding restrictions aimed at the former Assad regime, though key sanctions on individuals and terror-designated groups remain intact. The decision follows Trump's May 13 declaration to lift all sanctions and open diplomatic channels with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. "This is a blanket opportunity around all the things that we need to turn back on this economy," US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told reporters during a phone briefing. "But one thing is clear: Neither the president nor the secretary of state are nation building. They're saying we are going to give you an opportunity." The order, effective Tuesday, revokes five executive orders and lifts the 2004 national emergency declaration on Syria, effectively removing the legal basis for most US sanctions against the country. It also instructs federal agencies to begin lifting export controls and other restrictions related to Syrian commerce and financial institutions. However, the order stops short of fully normalizing US relations with Syria. Sanctions on former President Bashar al-Assad, his allies, and individuals tied to human rights abuses, terrorism, weapons proliferation, or Captagon trafficking remain in place. Additionally, Syria's 1979 designation as a state sponsor of terrorism remains, though officials say it's under review. The executive order does not affect the terrorism designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that formerly aligned with Al-Qaeda and now plays a central role in the new Syrian government. While HTS controls key ministries, the group has distanced itself from global networks and fought both Daesh and rival militants in recent years. 'The order instructs the State Department to take appropriate action on HTS-related counterterrorism designations,' an administration official said, noting Syria's renewed interest in confronting Daesh and other militias. The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, passed with bipartisan support to isolate the Assad regime economically, remains in effect, though the Trump administration issued a six-month waiver last month along with a general license to facilitate transactions with Syrian state institutions. Lawmakers from both parties are now pushing legislation to repeal the Caesar Act, which may be folded into the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act. Administration officials argue that the rollback will help attract foreign investment and support Syria's reconstruction efforts, signaling a dramatic US pivot toward engagement rather than isolation.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Syria welcomes U.S. decision to ease Assad-era sanctions as 'positive step'
Syria considers the move by the Trump administration to ease sanctions imposed on the war-torn country as a 'positive step' to ease humanitarian and economic suffering, its Foreign Ministry said. In a statement, the Ministry said Syria 'extends its hand' to anyone that wants to cooperate with Damascus, on the condition that there is no intervention in the country's internal affairs. The statement came after the Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions on Friday (May 23, 2025) in a major first step toward fulfilling the president's pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 14 years of civil war. Thomas Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkiye who has also been appointed as special envoy for Syria, met with Syria's president and foreign minister during their visit to Turkiye on Saturday, adding the President Ahmad al-Sharaa welcomed Washington's 'fast action on lifting sanctions.' 'President Trump's goal is to enable the new government to create the conditions for the Syrian people to not only survive but thrive,' Mr. Barrack said in a statement. Mr. Barrack said he stressed that the cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity 'of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of' the Islamic State group, also known as IS or ISIS. He added that it will give Syrians a chance for a better future. 'I also commended President al-Sharaa on taking meaningful steps towards enacting President Trump's points on foreign terrorist fighters, counter-ISIS measures, relations with Israel, and camps and detention centres in Northeast Syria,' Mr. Barrack said. He was referring to detention centres where thousands of IS members are held and two camps where their families stay in areas currently controlled by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A measure by the State Department waived for six months a tough set of sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019. A Treasury Department action suspended enforcement of sanctions against anyone doing business with a range of Syrian individuals and entities, including Syria's central bank. The congressional sanctions, known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, had aimed to isolate Syria's previous rulers by effectively expelling those doing business with them from the global financial system. They specifically block post-war reconstruction, so while they can be waived for 180 days by executive order, investors are likely to be wary of reconstruction projects when sanctions could be reinstated after six months. The Trump administration said Friday's actions were 'just one part of a broader U.S. government effort to remove the full architecture of sanctions.' Those penalties had been imposed on the Assad family for their support of Iranian-backed militias, their chemical weapons program and abuses of civilians. Mr. Trump said during a visit to the region earlier this month that the US would roll back the heavy financial penalties in a bid to give the interim government a better chance of survival. Damascus resident Nael Kaddah said now that the sanctions are being eased, the country will flourish again. He said Syrians will be able to transfer money freely, unlike in the past when there were several companies that monopolized the business and took large commissions on transfers. 'Now any citizen can receive a transfer from anywhere in the world,' he said. Syria's foreign ministry said dialogue and diplomacy are the best way to build 'balanced relations that achieve the interest of the people and strengthen security and stability in the region.' It added that the coming period in Syria will be reconstruction and restoring 'Syria's natural status' in the region and around the world.
Gulf Insider
25-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Insider
US Removes Syria Sanctions In Implementation Of Trump's 'Fresh Start' Vision
The White House on Friday began easing sanctions on Syria, in fulfillment of President Trump's promise to give the war-torn country a new chance and put it on the path to 'greatness'. 'I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,' Trump had first announced in an investment forum in Riyadh last week, where he met President Sharaa (Jolani), who is the founder of al-Qaeda in Syria. But Trump still expressed hope that the new government would 'succeed in stabilizing the country.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio days later admitted in a Senate hearing that the new leadership in Damascus 'didn't pass their background check with the FBI' – which is of course an understatement given Jolani even had been with ISIS early in his jihadi 'career'. The Treasury Department confirmed that it has issued General License 25 (GL25), authorizing previously prohibited transactions under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations (SSR), and further Rubio issued a 180-day waiver of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, suspending some of the harshest measures passed by Congress in 2019. 'Today's actions represent the first step in delivering on the President's vision of a new relationship between Syria and the United States,' the secretary of state announced. 'President Trump is providing the Syrian government with the chance to promote peace and stability, both within Syria and in Syria's relations with its neighbors.' Western officials have unwittingly admitted that sanctions are a tool of regime change, regardless of the horrific impact they have on millions of common citizens… Syria has reportedly been reconnected to the SWIFT international payment system, and the Treasury action paves the way for American entities dealing Syria's central government, Central Bank of Syria and other banks, as well as energy firms, and telecommunications providers, etc. Click here to read more…
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Syria welcomes US decision to ease Assad-era sanctions as ‘positive step'
Syria considers the move by the Trump administration to ease sanctions imposed on the war-torn country as a 'positive step' to ease humanitarian and economic suffering, its foreign ministry said Saturday. In a statement, the ministry said Syria 'extends its hand' to anyone that wants to cooperate with Damascus, on the condition that there is no intervention in the country's internal affairs. The statement came after the Trump administration granted Syria sweeping exemptions from sanctions on Friday in a major first step toward fulfilling the president's pledge to lift a half-century of penalties on a country shattered by 14 years of civil war. Thomas Barrack , the US ambassador to Turkey who has also been appointed as special envoy for Syria, met with Syria's president and foreign minister during their visit to Turkey on Saturday, adding the President Ahmad al-Sharaa welcomed Washington's 'fast action on lifting sanctions.' 'President Trump's goal is to enable the new government to create the conditions for the Syrian people to not only survive but thrive,' Barrack said in a statement. Barrack said he stressed that the cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity 'of our primary objective — the enduring defeat of' the Islamic State group, also known as IS or ISIS. He added that it will give Syrians a chance for a better future. 'I also commended President al-Sharaa on taking meaningful steps towards enacting President Trump's points on foreign terrorist fighters, counter-ISIS measures, relations with Israel, and camps and detention centers in Northeast Syria,' Barrack said. He was referring to detention centers where thousands of IS members are held and two camps where their families stay in areas currently controlled by the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. A measure by the State Department waived for six months a tough set of sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019. A Treasury Department action suspended enforcement of sanctions against anyone doing business with a range of Syrian individuals and entities, including Syria's central bank. The congressional sanctions, known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, had aimed to isolate Syria's previous rulers by effectively expelling those doing business with them from the global financial system. They specifically block postwar reconstruction, so while they can be waived for 180 days by executive order, investors are likely to be wary of reconstruction projects when sanctions could be reinstated after six months. The Trump administration said Friday's actions were 'just one part of a broader U.S. government effort to remove the full architecture of sanctions.' Those penalties had been imposed on the Assad family for their support of Iranian-backed militias, their chemical weapons program and abuses of civilians. Trump said during a visit to the region earlier this month that the U.S. would roll back the heavy financial penalties in a bid to give the interim government a better chance of survival. Damascus resident Nael Kaddah said now that the sanctions are being eased, the country will flourish again. He said Syrians will be able to transfer money freely, unlike in the past when there were several companies that monopolized the business and took large commissions on transfers. 'Now any citizen can receive a transfer from anywhere in the world,' he said. Syria's foreign ministry said dialogue and diplomacy are the best way to build 'balanced relations that achieve the interest of the people and strengthen security and stability in the region.' It added that the coming period in Syria will be reconstruction and restoring 'Syria's natural status' in the region and around the world.
