John, On Wednesday, June 17th the departments of the Treasury and State announced the details of their initial implementation of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, targeting 39 individuals and entities from within the Assad regime and among its allies for new sanctions. These designations represent an important first step on the path towards justice and accountability for the horrors inflicted upon the Syrian people by Bashar al-Assad and his backers. Here are our five key takeaways from the announcement: - The gloves are off with regards to regime supporters that have dodged sanctions up until this point. Among those sanctioned was Asma al-Assad, wife to Bashar and, according to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, “one of Syria’s most notorious war profiteers.” Mrs. Assad’s designation makes it clear to the regime that none of its members - even those that have hidden behind a veil of false-legitimacy - are safe from U.S. action.
- Assad and his allies will not be allowed to profit from Syria’s reconstruction. Particular attention was paid in the Treasury Department’s announcement to individuals actively engaged in war-profiteering, with new sanctions announced on the developers of two of Syria’s most ostentatious development projects, Marota City and Grand Town Tourist City. Both projects, undertaken by regime-friendly businessmen, plan to build upon land stolen from Syria’s displaced civilians, to the benefit of corrupt elites. In the words of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, “The Treasury Department will continue to use its tools and authorities to target the Assad regime and its supporters, as they seek to profit off the suffering of the Syrian people.”
- US sanctions are targeting war criminals and those that support them, not civilians. Bashar al-Assad’s brother Maher, one of Syria’s most powerful men and commander of the Syrian Army’s elite 4th Armored Division, was singled out for additional sanctions on the 17th, alongside a number of other high ranking members of the regime’s military command. These individuals are together responsible for countless atrocities across Syria, with Maher al-Assad in particular having played a key role in shaping the brutality of the regime’s initial crackdown on dissent in 2011. Contrary to the Assad regime and Russian propaganda, sanctions are being carefully targeted to avoid impacting civilians and humanitarian organizations.
- The Caesar Act will be used against anyone engaging in significant business with the regime, from any country. While the majority of those individuals and entities designated last week operate within Syria, the announcement also detailed the targeting of businesses across the globe for their involvement in business dealings with regime-aligned actors. Organizations and businesses in Iran, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Austria and Canada have all been targeted for new sanctions as a part of Wednesday’s announcement.
- There is still much more to be done. As Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted in a tweet last week, these actions represent only the beginning of “a sustained campaign of sanctions against the Assad regime.” The Trump Administration must be vigilant in its enforcement of the Caesar Act, and aggressive in its application of further sanctions against those that would continue to fund Assad’s atrocities.
The Caesar Act is a crucial tool that can stop war crime perpetrators and financiers embedded in one of the most corrupt and destructive regimes in modern history. Americans for a Free Syria will continue to fight for the full and timely implementation of the Caesar Act in order to ensure that Bashar al-Assad and his backers can receive no respite from the full weight of U.S. sanctions, and that the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people may be realized. Thank you for your continued advocacy and support for the cause of a Free Syria. Sincerely, Team AFS | |
