The United States said on Monday it was partly suspending enforcement of some of its toughest sanctions on Syria for another 180 days as its president Donald Trump hosted Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House for landmark talks.
Mr Sharaa’s visit capped a stunning year for the rebel-turned-ruler who toppled long-time autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad and has since sought to end Syria’s decades of international isolation.
Mr Trump met with Mr Sharaa in the first visit by a Syrian president to Washington, six months after their first meeting in Saudi Arabia, where the US leader announced plans to lift sanctions, and just days after the US said the former al-Qaeda commander was no longer a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist”.
In an unusually low-key welcome, Mr Sharaa arrived without the fanfare usually given to visiting foreign dignitaries. He entered through a side door instead of through the West Wing main door where cameras often capture Mr Trump greeting VIPs. A pool of reporters that often goes into the Oval Office for such talks was not allowed in.
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Shortly afterwards, the US treasury department announced a new order to replace its May 23rd waiver on imposition of Caesar Act sanctions, which it said indicated “our commitment to continued sanctions relief for Syria”. It essentially appeared to extend the waiver by another 180 days.
Exceptions include “certain transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran, or the transfer of provisions of Russian-origin or Iranian-origin goods, technology, software, funds, financing, or services,” the treasury said in a statement.
Mr Sharaa (43) took power last year after his Islamist fighters launched a lightning offensive from their enclave in Syria’s northwest and overthrew Assad just days later on December 8th.
Syria’s regional realignment has since moved at a dizzying pace, away from Assad’s key allies Iran and Russia and toward Turkey, the Gulf – and Washington.
But even though Mr Trump has already removed many sanctions on Syria, a major stumbling block remains – the 2019 Caesar sanctions, considered the strongest measures. Removing them entirely would require a repeal by the US Congress, which a senior administration official said the administration would fully support.
Security was also expected to be a top focus of Mr Sharaa’s meeting with Mr Trump, who in a major US policy shift has sought to help Syria’s fragile transition.
The US is brokering talks on a possible security pact between Syria and Israel, which remains wary of Mr Sharaa’s former militant ties. Reuters reported last week that the US is planning to establish a military presence at a Damascus airbase.
Syria is also set to join a US-led coalition to fight Islamic State.
Just hours before the landmark talks, word emerged of two separate Islamic State (also known as Isis) plots to assassinate Mr Sharaa that had been foiled over the last few months, according to a senior Syrian security official and a senior Middle Eastern official. – Reuters
