US Congress permanently lifts Assad-era sanctions on Syria, repeals Caesar Act

US Congress permanently lifts Assad-era sanctions on Syria

The US Congress on Wednesday permanently ended sanctions imposed on Syria under ousted leader Bashar al-Assad, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation.

President Donald Trump had already twice suspended the implementation of sanctions in response to pleas from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, allies of the new government headed by former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa.

But Sharaa had sought a permanent end to the sanctions, fearing that so long as the measures remained on the books they would deter businesses wary of legal risks in the world's largest economy.

The Senate passed the repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act as part of a sweeping annual defense package. The Senate voted 77 to 20 in favor of the legislation, which was already approved by the House of Representatives and is expected to be signed by Trump.

The repeal, broadly backed by lawmakers of both parties, "is a decisive step toward giving the Syrian people a real chance to rebuild after decades of unimaginable suffering," said Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Damascus hailed the decision as a turning point.

"We express our gratitude and appreciation to the US Senate for its support of the Syrian people and its vote to repeal the Caesar Act," Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said.

He described the move as "a positive development that opens new horizons for cooperation and partnership between our country and the world".

The Caesar Act, named after an anonymous photographer who documented atrocities in Assad's prisons, severely restricted investment and cut off Syria from the international banking system.

The law was intended to prevent the influx of foreign businesses to rebuild Syria at a time when it had seemed that Assad had triumphed following more than a decade of brutal civil war that triggered a massive flow of refugees toward Europe and helped spawn the birth of the Islamic State extremist movement.

Sharaa's fighters seized Damascus a year ago in a lightning offensive.

Sharaa -- now dressed in a business suit and seeking better relations with the West -- has impressed Trump, including when they first met during the US leader's May trip to Riyadh.