Senator Exploring ‘Options’ for Putting Conditions on Syria Sanctions Relief
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said July 29 that he’s considering “different options” for placing conditions on removing U.S. sanctions on Syria.
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Van Hollen believes “we should give this new Syrian government a chance with lifting the sanctions, but at the same time making clear that the sanctions will snap back if certain conditions are not met, including ways to protect minority populations in Syria, which clearly is a huge problem," he told Export Compliance Daily.
Members of Syria’s Druze minority group have reportedly come under attack from forces aligned with Syria's new transitional government. Other minorities, including Alawites and Christians, also have faced violence.
Van Hollen had hoped the Trump administration would lay out conditions for Syria sanctions relief, but “they’ve not done that, so I’m looking at different options," he said. "I'd like to make it bipartisan, if possible. That’s been a challenge. I was sort of off and running on it, but I do need to circle back with some Republican colleagues.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June removing certain financial sanctions against Syria to help the war-torn country achieve peace and stability (see 2506300055). The order also called for evaluating suspending certain sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.
At a Senate Foreign Relations hearing July 23, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro told Van Hollen that the Trump administration's decision to "quickly" and "fulsomely" lift sanctions on Syria is a "gamble," but "I think it's the right gamble to give this transitional government a chance to find its footing." However, Shapiro testified that there should be a mechanism in place to limit the sanctions relief if Syria doesn't meet certain conditions, including protecting minorities.
The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill July 22 that would update the conditions for lifting sanctions in the Caesar Act (see 2507240016). It would, among other things, require the Syrian government to take “reasonable steps” to protect religious and ethnic minorities.
Several Senate and House lawmakers have introduced legislation to repeal the Caesar Act (see 2506200029 and 2506130057). One of those bills also would repeal Title VII of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (see 2506300059).