Civil war upheaval: USA raise Syria sanctions

The US government raises sanctions against Syria. President Donald Trump signed a corresponding decree on Monday (local time), as the White House announced.

Trump had already announced the step on his trip to the Middle East about a month and a half ago. This serves to “promote and support the path of the country to stability and peace,” said Trump’s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt before signing.

According to the White House, sanctions against Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad and his employees remain. The same applies, for example, to sanctions against human rights injuries, drug dealers and to people who are related to activities with chemical weapons.

Trump also orders further steps

Steps would also be used to loosen export controls and other restrictions on Syria, the decree said. It instructs the Foreign Ministry to check the classification of the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Scham (HTS) as foreign terrorist organization. The Syrian transitional government has largely emerged from the group.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also intended to review Syria as a state supporter of terrorism-as well as that of the temporary president Ahmed al-Sharaa as a terrorist. In addition, Rubio should examine opportunities for the United Nations to lift sanctions. The decree also instructs it to check whether certain sanctions should be suspended in whole or in part, which are related to a law that the former Syrian government is punished by al-Assad for atrocities, it was said from the White House.

The new Syrian leadership has been trying to approach the international community since the fall of long-term power holder Bashar al-Assad. She demands that all sanctions cancel. During the years of brutal civil war under Assad, many countries of Syria had occupied sanctions.