Holding Ground: Why the US Should Resist Calls to Lift Sanctions on Syria

Strategic Insights -

The devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday has reignited calls from some civil society and religious groups to lift sanctions on the Syrian regime. However, the US government has imposed these sanctions for nearly four decades due to Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and its occupation of Lebanon. The sanctions aim to limit Assad's ability to finance his military and militias responsible for atrocities, not harm the Syrian people. Despite the Syrian regime's attempts to shift blame, the sanctions have had no significant impact on humanitarian assistance, with the US remaining the leading donor, providing nearly $16 billion throughout Syria and the region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The US has imposed sanctions on Syria since 1979 due to its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and occupation of Lebanon.
  • The sanctions aim to limit Assad's ability to finance his military and militias responsible for atrocities.
  • Lifting sanctions would only benefit the Syrian regime, not the Syrian people, who continue to suffer under Assad's rule.
  • The Syrian regime has displaced millions of people, and only humanitarian aid from international organizations, not Assad's regime, can help.
  • Organizations such as the White Helmets and others are providing support to those affected by the earthquake in northwest Syria, and donations should be channeled through them.
  • The US has provided nearly $16 billion in humanitarian assistance throughout Syria and the region since the conflict began.
  • Most of this assistance is spent in regime-controlled areas, as the regime prohibits aid from reaching opposition-held communities.
  • The UN has primarily worked in regime-held areas, despite documented corruption and Syrian regime influence over where aid is delivered.
  • Russia has held the Security Council hostage, forcing a single border crossing from Turkey into northern Syria for humanitarian aid.

Statistics:

  • $16 billion: The amount of humanitarian assistance the US has provided throughout Syria and the region since the conflict began.
  • 2019: The year Congress passed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which placed further sanctions on Syrian government industries and foreign entities supporting the regime.
  • 2011: The year President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on protesters demanding change led to additional targeted sanctions.
  • 1979: The year the US first imposed sanctions on Syria due to its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and occupation of Lebanon.

Sources:

  • The article does not provide original citations for the statistics and events mentioned but sourced the information from publicly available data and reporting on the Syrian conflict.