|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Bush Administration Considers New Syrian Sanctions By Mike Nartker WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is considering imposing additional sanctions against Syria, in part, for lack of progress by Damascus in ending its official support for terrorism and alleged WMD activities, a congressional aide close to the issue told Global Security Newswire last week (see GSN, Oct. 20). U.S. President George W. Bush and other administration officials “at the most senior levels” have been considering additional sanctions, following a request several weeks ago from Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the aide said. While refusing to describe what additional sanctions are being considered, the aide said that a decision was expected from the White House within the next few weeks. The aide added that there were indications that the administration would choose to move forward with additional sanctions. While noting the “cosmetic” efforts Damascus has made to help prevent insurgents from crossing the Syrian border into Iraq, the aide said that “Syria has done nothing” to end its support for terrorism, its alleged WMD programs and its long-standing occupation of neighboring Lebanon. Syria’s involvement in Lebanon received increased media attention this fall following a move by the Lebanese parliament in September to extend the term of the country’s pro-Syrian president. In October, the U.N. Security Council approved a presidential statement calling on Syria to withdraw its 14,000 troops from Lebanon. More than two decades of the United States “engaging” with Syria has met with little success, resulting in the need for new sanctions, the aide said. “It’s time to take a different approach,” the aide said. “It’s time to increase the pressure.” A U.S. State Department spokesman said last week, though, that he had no knowledge of plans to impose new sanctions against Syria. He also said the department got “phone calls of this sort once a month,” referring to media requests on possible new sanctions. The Syrian Embassy in Washington did not return requests for comment. Ros-Lehtinen was one of the chief sponsors in the House of Representatives last year of the Syria Accountability Act, which was overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law by Bush. The act establishes a ban on dual-use exports to Syria, and required the president to impose at least two of an additional six economic and diplomatic sanctions. In May, Bush approved a restriction on U.S. exports to Syria except food and medicine and a ban on any Syrian government-owned aircraft from taking off from or landing in the United States. The White House also announced at the time a freeze on all assets in the United States belonging to some Syrian individuals and government entities and plans to require all U.S. financial institutions to sever ties with the Commercial Bank of Syria. Last week, Syrian President Bashar Assad sent a message to Bush congratulating him on his re-election and expressing hope for improved U.S.-Syrian relations. “I hope the serious dialogue and adherence to principles the United States of America is based … as well as the U.N. charter will be the way to strengthen ties between our two countries and work together as to establish the just and comprehensive peace in our region,” Assad said, according to the state-run SANA news agency. New sanctions against Syria would be “counterproductive,” in part, because they would give “old guard” elements within Damascus support in their political struggle with reformers in the government, Murhaf Jouejati, an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Monday. In addition, new sanctions would send a message to other governments in the region that cooperation with the United States is “futile,” he said. “If such a move is true, then it is a very bad one,” Jouejati said of the possible new sanctions.
| ||||||||||
Back to top
