US Senators Urge Against Waiving Caesar Sanctions in Northern Syria

A US military vehicle, part of a convoy arriving from northern Iraq, drives past an oil pump jack in the countryside of Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on October 26, 2019. (AFP)
A US military vehicle, part of a convoy arriving from northern Iraq, drives past an oil pump jack in the countryside of Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on October 26, 2019. (AFP)
TT
20

US Senators Urge Against Waiving Caesar Sanctions in Northern Syria

A US military vehicle, part of a convoy arriving from northern Iraq, drives past an oil pump jack in the countryside of Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on October 26, 2019. (AFP)
A US military vehicle, part of a convoy arriving from northern Iraq, drives past an oil pump jack in the countryside of Syria’s northeastern city of Qamishli on October 26, 2019. (AFP)

Republican Senators at Congress have warned Joe Biden's administration against lifting any sanctions against the Syrian regime, even though no official moves on the ground have been taken to that end.

The legislative and executive authorities in the US have frequently tussled over the Syria, going back to the term of President Barak Obama. The debates eventually led to the unanimous adoption of the Caesar Act that has outlined American policy over Syria.

Media leaks have, however, revealed that the Biden administration is seeking to waive the Caesar Act in northern Syria under the pretext of improving humanitarian and economic conditions there.

The concern prompted three Republican senators, Joe Wilson, Claudia Tenny and Pat Fallon, to issue a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asking him to clarify the claims.

They warned against easing sanctions against the regime and regions under its control. "The Caesar Act already provides exemptions for humanitarian relief, in addition to those which already exist in current law," read the letter.

"It is troubling that the administration has reportedly reached a decision to issue a broad geographical waiver while having offered no explanation to Congress for why the existing waiver and license structure is insufficient to achieve US objectives in northern Syria," it continued.

"Why are these waivers necessary when humanitarian assistance is already exempted under the Caesar Act and other laws and the existing authorities include a licensure mechanism?"

"How will the administration guarantee that the Assad regime or its affiliates and front companies will not be able to generate revenues of gain access to foreign currency through these waivers?"

The State Department denied that the administration was seeking to weaken sanctions on the Assad regime and in areas under its control.

A Department spokesperson told Asharq Al-Awsat that the administration will stress going forward in the political process as stipulated in United Nations Security Council resolution 2254.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said the administration opposes any reconstruction efforts led by the regime. It will not back down on its "firm" stance over this issue until progress is achieved in the political process.

They stressed that no sanctions will be lifted off Assad and his regime and no waivers will be granted to them.

The spokesperson did not respond to the media leaks or the senators concern that the regime may exploit the lifting of sanctions on regions held by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria and the Turkish-backed opposition in the northwest.

They instead said the administration supports providing humanitarian aid to Syria through all means, including the cross-border mechanism that was approved by the Security Council. Discussions will continue with all members of the Council over this issue. The mechanism is a guarantee for delivering life-saving aid to Syrians.

Former Syrian diplomat Bassam Barabandi described as "dangerous" the proposal that the administration may lift sanctions.

He explained that some officials in the American administration, who are tasked with Middle East affairs, believe that there can be no solution to wars in countries, such as Yemen and Syria, except in recognizing the de facto powers, even if some regions are run by a terrorist authority.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said the proposal that is now being weighed focuses on the possibility of finding common economic factors between the warring parties in Syria so that they could eventually reach a political solution that takes into account the de facto forces and their interests, even if they are illegal.

This effectively means the economic division of Syria and eventually its political and geographic division, he noted.

This decision coincides with western negotiations with Iran over its nuclear deal that are reaching a "happy ending" and the prices that have to be paid by each party as part of the agreement.

The Monitor was the first to report on the Biden administration's possible sanctions waivers. The Office of Foreign Assets Control waiver on all sanctions for the areas outside the Syrian regime’s control will not cover oil and gas, it said citing sources.



Demarcating the Lebanese–Syrian Border Tops Agenda of Trump’s Envoy in Beirut

Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 
Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 
TT
20

Demarcating the Lebanese–Syrian Border Tops Agenda of Trump’s Envoy in Beirut

Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 
Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 

US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Syria, is prioritizing the demarcation of the Lebanese–Syrian border during his meetings in Beirut this week with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Army leadership.

The border issue is expected to feature prominently in Lebanon’s response to proposals Barrack presented, as he considers it essential for establishing a mechanism to implement the ceasefire agreement with Israel and asserting Lebanese sovereignty under UN Resolution 1701.

According to Lebanese ministerial sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi Arabia recently hosted a Lebanese–Syrian meeting that defused tensions and ended clashes across the overlapping areas between the two countries in northern Bekaa. Riyadh’s mediation created a favorable climate to advance border demarcation along the roughly 375-kilometer frontier from north to east.

Saudi sponsorship of this process, along with measures by the joint Lebanese–Syrian committee to prevent further clashes, strengthened Washington’s interest in supporting these efforts. Much of the violence has stemmed from rival smuggling networks once protected by the former Syrian regime and used for trafficking Captagon into Lebanon and beyond.

Calls to demarcate the border date back to the National Dialogue Committee’s first session in 2006, convened by Berri. At Hezbollah’s request, the term “demarcation” was replaced with “delineation,” arguing it was more appropriate for relations between “brotherly nations.” Nevertheless, the issue remained unresolved as Syria refused to engage in formal negotiations, especially before the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, when Damascus consistently blocked references to completing the Taif Agreement or withdrawing Syrian troops from Beirut.

Later attempts during Saad Hariri’s premiership under President Michel Sleiman also stalled when President Bashar al-Assad declined to cooperate, citing other priorities. Illegal crossings continued to proliferate, justified as necessary for Hezbollah’s movement to avoid Israeli monitoring and to maintain unregulated “military routes” for arms smuggling.

Sources revealed that in a Damascus meeting co-chaired by Hariri and Assad, Lebanon requested not only border demarcation but also a review of bilateral agreements under the Treaty of Brotherhood to address their pro-Syrian bias. While the status of the occupied Shebaa Farms was briefly raised, it was withdrawn to avoid jeopardizing talks. Though an agreement was reached to start demarcation from the northern border, Syrian officials later backed out, citing preoccupation with the Jordanian border.

Lebanon has since prepared a detailed file with maps and coordinates, ready to support renewed negotiations under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Officials believe the time is now ripe to demarcate the border and end agreements that once facilitated Syria’s dominance over Lebanon.