US Congress to lift Caesar Act sanctions on Syria
"The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019...is hereby repealed," the draft document explicitly states.
Before the measure can become law, it must still secure approval from the House of Representatives. However, the repeal would not be unconditional.
Reports indicate that the US president would be required to provide updates to multiple congressional committees, first within 90 days and then every 180 days for a period of four years. These updates must certify that Syria is taking concrete actions to eradicate ISIS (Daesh) and other terrorist groups, uphold minority rights, refrain from military aggression against neighboring countries, combat money laundering and terrorism financing, prosecute crimes against humanity carried out by the previous regime, and implement measures to curb drug production.
If the president concludes that Syria fails to meet these benchmarks over two reporting periods, the sanctions could be reinstated.
The document also addresses other Syria-related measures. One provision requires the US Defense Department to deliver reports to Congress on ISIS detention facilities within Syria.
Additionally, the Defense Department, in coordination with US Central Command, must report on the status of US military posture, including basing locations and operational activities, based on a conditions-driven consolidation plan.
Originally enacted in 2019, the Caesar Act imposed broad secondary sanctions that prevented both US and foreign entities from engaging with Syria’s government or participating in reconstruction efforts. These measures were aimed at holding Assad accountable for human rights violations and chemical weapons use.
Some sanctions have already been lifted. For example, senior Syrian officials have been removed from UN and US terror-related sanction lists. Fully lifting the remaining restrictions requires congressional approval, although the administration has the ability to waive them in 180-day increments, as it did in November.
Reports note that President Donald Trump began easing US sanctions after meeting with Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May, subsequently announcing the sanctions relief and issuing an executive order in June to formally remove the comprehensive sanctions.
The US State Department further signaled support for the new Syrian administration by revoking the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for the al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, in July, and removing Sharaa from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist list on November 7.
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