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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - After years of war, Syria glances westward — toward Trump
President Trump has announced the beginning of sanctions being lifted on Syria, which had been imposed during the genocidal rule of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian people and their new leadership deserve a chance to rebuild their great nation. While the sanctions were still in place, the Syrian American Alliance for Peace and Prosperity invited us to visit post-Assad Syria at a very tenuous moment for the Syrian people. We agreed and set off on an open-minded, fact-finding mission. What we saw was daunting, but we ultimately we came away cautiously optimistic. When we arrived in Damascus, we observed grown men openly weeping and others cheering as they saw their homeland for the first time in decades. For centuries, Syria had boasted a diverse, multicultural population, until the 54-year reign of the Assad regime. Assad leveled entire villages while waging war on his political enemies, inflicting billions of dollars of damage on his own country. In this political genocide, Assad murdered close to a million of his own people — Christians, Muslims, Kurds and Druze alike, regardless of religion — all while using military aid and financial support from Russia and Iran. With Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Iranian activities being curtailed through sanctions and the degradation of their terrorist proxies, support that had been vital to Assad's reign dissipated. He was ultimately forced to flee to Russia as rebel forces advanced, although he regrettably was able to pilfer additional billions from the nation's coffers on his way out the door. During our visit, we witnessed the devastated Syrian economy, where cash is almost worthless and credit cards are not accepted. Open-air markets resort to basic barter and trade for items like clothing and necessities, which are laid out next to rubble. With no functioning gas stations, young men with large hand-held jugs stand along the road to fill vehicles for a price negotiated on the spot. Despite this, the spirit of the Syrian people is not broken. Banners reading 'Make Syria Great Again' were displayed along the roads, sending messages of hope for the first time in decades. We heard nothing but admiration for President Trump and his administration — most notably for his decision to stop the bombing of Idlib in 2019. We then met individually with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, well aware of his previous history as a Syrian Al-Qaeda member, though having cut ties in 2016. However, contrary to his biography, the actions al-Sharaa has taken to help the country so far have been positive. Al-Sharaa has enlisted an impressive and diverse group of Syrian advisors, some of whom had fled the country years ago to escape Assad. His Minister of Social and Labor Affairs, Hind Kabawat, is an accomplished Christian woman, and not a choice one would expect from someone with prior ties to al-Qaeda. Just as surprising, one of al-Sharaa's first acts upon taking power was to free thousands of Syrians that Assad had imprisoned and tortured. Al-Sharaa has declared a return to religious freedom, and during our visit, we witnessed a huge gathering of the Christian population for the first public celebration of Easter held in decades. In our meetings, al-Sharaa expressed a desire to work with the West. He called Israel by name and simultaneously emphasized his desire to promote peace and even possibly join the Abraham Accords. His commitment to avoid the often alluring proxy relationship with Iran is a testament to his desire to find more favorable partners. America is accustomed to being asked for funds and military support, but al-Sharaa wants Syrians defending Syria. His main request was for sanctions relief and for Syria not to be divided into regions. This is not only good for Syria, but a more stable western-leaning Syria provides a new layer of protection for America's ally to the south, Israel. He expressed the importance of having democratic elections, welcoming tourists of all faiths, and creating new trade routes, pointing to the country's strategic location and its ability to allow faster transit of products to the West. He emphasized the necessity for post-conflict Syria to have an economic partner, pointing out that Russia has already made an offer, in addition to others like China and Iran making overtures; however, al-Sharaa has not yet accepted these. His clear preference is to make the U.S. the preferential trade partner, an opportunity Syria finally has for the first time in over 50 years. Hearing al-Sharaa and the Syrian government express an interest in being a stabilizing force in the region for peace and prosperity is a moment in time we must consider carefully, and why we applaud President Trump's decision to lift the sanctions on a war-weary Syria. For accountability, we also believe al-Sharaa must be willing to accept international investigations into the treatment of Syria's religious minorities. When a new leader opens the doors to his country without restriction while still weakened from decades of dictatorial destruction, and when he promotes religious freedom while simply asking for a chance to open trade with the West, we should explore what might be possible. We believe huge investments are waiting to rebuild this great nation. With Trump at the helm, this could be a monumental moment for unexpected peace in the Middle East. Cory Mills represents the Florida's 7th Congressional District and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. Marlin Stutzman represents Indiana's 3rd Congressional District. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
After years of war, Syria glances westward — toward Trump
President Trump has announced the beginning of sanctions being lifted on Syria, which had been imposed during the genocidal rule of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian people and their new leadership deserve a chance to rebuild their great nation. While the sanctions were still in place, the Syrian American Alliance for Peace and Prosperity invited us to visit post-Assad Syria at a very tenuous moment for the Syrian people. We agreed and set off on an open-minded, fact-finding mission. What we saw was daunting, but we ultimately we came away cautiously optimistic. When we arrived in Damascus, we observed grown men openly weeping and others cheering as they saw their homeland for the first time in decades. For centuries, Syria had boasted a diverse, multicultural population, until the 54-year reign of the Assad regime. Assad leveled entire villages while waging war on his political enemies, inflicting billions of dollars of damage on his own country. In this political genocide, Assad murdered close to a million of his own people — Christians, Muslims, Kurds and Druze alike, regardless of religion — all while using military aid and financial support from Russia and Iran. With Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Iranian activities being curtailed through sanctions and the degradation of their terrorist proxies, support that had been vital to Assad's reign dissipated. He was ultimately forced to flee to Russia as rebel forces advanced, although he regrettably was able to pilfer additional billions from the nation's coffers on his way out the door. During our visit, we witnessed the devastated Syrian economy, where cash is almost worthless and credit cards are not accepted. Open-air markets resort to basic barter and trade for items like clothing and necessities, which are laid out next to rubble. With no functioning gas stations, young men with large hand-held jugs stand along the road to fill vehicles for a price negotiated on the spot. Despite this, the spirit of the Syrian people is not broken. Banners reading 'Make Syria Great Again' were displayed along the roads, sending messages of hope for the first time in decades. We heard nothing but admiration for President Trump and his administration — most notably for his decision to stop the bombing of Idlib in 2019. We then met individually with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, well aware of his previous history as a Syrian Al-Qaeda member, though having cut ties in 2016. However, contrary to his biography, the actions al-Sharaa has taken to help the country so far have been positive. Al-Sharaa has enlisted an impressive and diverse group of Syrian advisors, some of whom had fled the country years ago to escape Assad. His Minister of Social and Labor Affairs, Hind Kabawat, is an accomplished Christian woman, and not a choice one would expect from someone with prior ties to al-Qaeda. Just as surprising, one of al-Sharaa's first acts upon taking power was to free thousands of Syrians that Assad had imprisoned and tortured. Al-Sharaa has declared a return to religious freedom, and during our visit, we witnessed a huge gathering of the Christian population for the first public celebration of Easter held in decades. In our meetings, al-Sharaa expressed a desire to work with the West. He called Israel by name and simultaneously emphasized his desire to promote peace and even possibly join the Abraham Accords. His commitment to avoid the often alluring proxy relationship with Iran is a testament to his desire to find more favorable partners. America is accustomed to being asked for funds and military support, but al-Sharaa wants Syrians defending Syria. His main request was for sanctions relief and for Syria not to be divided into regions. This is not only good for Syria, but a more stable western-leaning Syria provides a new layer of protection for America's ally to the south, Israel. He expressed the importance of having democratic elections, welcoming tourists of all faiths, and creating new trade routes, pointing to the country's strategic location and its ability to allow faster transit of products to the West. He emphasized the necessity for post-conflict Syria to have an economic partner, pointing out that Russia has already made an offer, in addition to others like China and Iran making overtures; however, al-Sharaa has not yet accepted these. His clear preference is to make the U.S. the preferential trade partner, an opportunity Syria finally has for the first time in over 50 years. Hearing al-Sharaa and the Syrian government express an interest in being a stabilizing force in the region for peace and prosperity is a moment in time we must consider carefully, and why we applaud President Trump's decision to lift the sanctions on a war-weary Syria. For accountability, we also believe al-Sharaa must be willing to accept international investigations into the treatment of Syria's religious minorities. When a new leader opens the doors to his country without restriction while still weakened from decades of dictatorial destruction, and when he promotes religious freedom while simply asking for a chance to open trade with the West, we should explore what might be possible. We believe huge investments are waiting to rebuild this great nation. With Trump at the helm, this could be a monumental moment for unexpected peace in the Middle East. Cory Mills represents the Florida's 7th Congressional District and is a member of the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees. Marlin Stutzman represents Indiana's 3rd Congressional District.
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
G.O.P. Lawmakers Visit Syria to Assess Situation Under New Government
Two Republican congressmen arrived in Damascus on Friday, the first visit by American lawmakers to Syria in many years — and a signal that the party is starting to pay attention to the war-ravaged country after changes in leadership. The congressmen, Cory Mills of Florida and Marlin Stutzman of Indiana, were accompanied by members of the Syrian community in America. The visit is a fact-finding mission, organizers said, and the group was expected to meet with government ministers and Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Shara. The group is also expected to visit with religious leaders, including representatives of Syria's Christian minority, and to tour historical sites in the old city of Damascus, the capital, as well some of the suburbs that were destroyed in Syria's nearly 14-year civil war. The group is also planning to visit the notorious Sednaya prison where thousands of Syrians were incarcerated, tortured and executed under the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted in December by a rebel coalition led by Mr. al-Shara. The congressional trip was organized by the Indiana-based nonprofit Syrian American Alliance for Peace and Prosperity, a group keen to promote relations between the United States and the new Syrian leadership, said Dr. Tarek Kteleh, a rheumatologist who was is a member of the alliance and was traveling with the congressmen. The nonprofit also wants American lawmakers to see for themselves how sanctions imposed on the Assad government and still in place, are damaging the economy, Dr. Kteleh said. He said that he also hoped the visit would serve as an opening for the United States and Syria to forge a new relationship, and for Syria to turn away from Russia and Iran, its allies of the last 70 years. 'It is a fact-finding mission to see the situation on the ground, to visit the minorities,' Dr. Kteleh said. 'And to see how bad the economic situation is, but also to see how people are living and how there is peace in the country.' The congressional visit comes several weeks after deadly clashes between Assad loyalists and the new government's security forces in towns along Syria's coastal area, which is the heartland of the country's Alawite religious minority. The Assad family are Alawites. The fighting led to an outburst of sectarian violence, with hundreds of civilians killed by forces linked to the government, according to two war-monitoring groups. The clashes have raised concerns for Syria's religious and ethnic minorities. The new government is gradually establishing control around the country, disarming some militias and negotiating security agreements with others. At the same time, the United States has begun reducing the number of troops in northeastern Syria, a reflection of the shifting security environment in the country. While the Islamic State terror group remains a potent danger in Syria, the end of Mr. al-Assad's regime has reduced, at least for now, an array of other threats, including the Iran-backed militias and Russian troops that supported the former Syrian government. Officials of the former Biden administration began initial contacts with Mr. al-Shara weeks after the overthrow of the Assad regime, with the State Department's top diplomat for the Middle East at the time, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf visiting Damascus on Dec. 20. She was the first American diplomat to visit Damascus since 2012. Ms. Leaf said one of the priorities of her visit was to ramp up efforts to discover the fate of two Americans, Austin Tice and Majd Kamalmaz, who had been detained or gone missing in Syria during the civil war. The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012 when antigovernment protests were met with repression and the country descended into civil war. The rebels who overthrew Mr. al-Assad in December nominated Mr. Al-Shara as president in January. While he once led a group allied with Al Qaeda during the civil war, he has since broken ties with the extremist group. He is supposed to oversee a transitional government for five years that will draft a new constitution and prepare elections.
