Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act

Trump Shouldn’t Delist Syria Without Conditions

The inclusion of Syria on the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list is important leverage the U.S. should not give up easily.

U.S. Must Apply Strict Conditions Before Lifting Syria’s Terrorism Designation

“The lifting of sanctions is the primary step toward revitalizing the Syrian economy,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told President Donald Trump during a phone call on May 31.  In...

Sharaa’s Gulf Tour Is All About the Economy

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited three Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — over two days beginning on April 21. The Syrian presidency described the trip in broad...

Foreign Investment in Syria’s Reconstruction Carries Terror Finance Risk

Saudi Arabia and Qatar aim to reap the commercial rewards of rebuilding Syria now that the devastating civil war has ended and sanctions on Damascus have been lifted. Gulf investments are being deployed...

Sectarian Fires Return to Syria’s Coast 

Sectarian tensions appear to be resurfacing in Syria’s Mediterranean coastal region, the home to the country’s largest concentration of the Alawite religious minority. The group held a privileged position...

A Deal to Help Bring Syria Together Nears Collapse

In just a little more than a week, Syria could return to the civil strife its people suffered under for 13 years. A March deal to unify the militaries of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian...

Congress Unveils Proposal To Repeal Syria Sanctions as Syria-Israel Tensions Continue

Repeal Likely to Pass: Congress is likely to repeal economic sanctions on Syria enshrined in the 2019 Caesar Act in the coming weeks, unveiling language for its repeal within the...

U.S., Syrian Forces Destroy ISIS Weapons Caches in Southern Syria in Combined Operation

CENTCOM Announces Combined Operation Against ISIS: United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that U.S. forces and forces from the Syrian Ministry of Interior had “located...

Unsolved Murder of Bedouin Couple Fans Sectarian Flames in Syria

Syria seems to be inching back towards fracturing. On November 23, unknown individuals killed a husband and wife from a Sunni Arab Bedouin tribe in Homs Province. Authorities found slogans written at the...

Syrian President Commits to Defeating ISIS, Sidesteps Peace with Israel During White House Meeting

Syria Joins Coalition Against ISIS: Following the historic meeting of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa with President Donald Trump at the White House on November 10, the Syrian...

Sharaa To Be First-Ever Syrian Leader To Visit White House

In a meeting no one could have predicted just a year ago, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on November 10. It will be the first time a Syrian...

U.S. Replaces Comprehensive Sanctions on Syria With More Targeted Tools

The United States rolled back decades-old comprehensive sanctions on Syria on June 30, but the story is not as simple as either media reports or the administration itself makes it seem. The executive order...

‘Path to Stability and Peace’: White House Terminates Most Sanctions on Syria

Syria Sanctions Terminated: The Trump administration issued an executive order officially lifting most of the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria. The order is intended to “promote...

New Syria sanctions relief (and risks) explained

Firms relying on the recent wave of lifted sanctions and exceptive relief will face significant hurdles in verifying that transactions do not benefit excluded actors

What’s next for Syria? Assad, Jihadist terrorist groups, and chemical weapons

Jihadi Rebel Surge Disrupts White House Plans for Syria

The Syrian civil war has cost half a million lives while forcing millions to seek refuge abroad, yet the Biden administration has continually sought to ease American pressure on the regime in Damascus...

Senate Moves to Extend and Toughen Caesar Act Sanctions on Syrian Regime

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), proposed a late amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act on September 11 that includes a four-year extension of...

Hezbollah seeks to use Syrian refugees to create crisis with Europe

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on May 13 that Lebanon should open its maritime borders so that Syrians who live in Lebanon can board boats heading to Europe.

Bashar Al Assad Must Pay

Arab leaders have welcomed Syria back into the diplomatic fold, but the U.S. Congress remains committed to holding the regime of Bashar al Assad accountable for a decade of atrocities.  In...

Bashar al-Assad is back

And the Arab League’s got him