U.S. Lawmakers Weigh Lifting ‘Caesar’ Sanctions on Syria

Tough U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria under former president Bashar al-Assad are on track to be lifted within weeks, after lawmakers folded their repeal into a sweeping annual defense policy bill, Reuters reported.

The compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), unveiled over the weekend by House and Senate negotiators, includes language repealing the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. The provision appears in the roughly 3,000-page bill, which is expected to pass by the end of the year, the news outlet said.

The potential repeal of the Caesar Act is tied to new reporting requirements, however. The White House would have to submit regular certifications that Syria’s government is actively fighting Islamic State militants, protecting religious and ethnic minorities, and refraining from unilateral, unprovoked military action against neighboring states, including Israel, Reuters said.

The Caesar Act, passed in 2019, had imposed wide-ranging sanctions on individuals, companies and institutions linked to Assad’s regime, in response to documented torture and war crimes. The law is named after a Syrian military photographer, code-named “Caesar,” who smuggled out thousands of photos showing detainees’ bodies bearing signs of brutal abuse, according to the report.

Several Saudi Arabian firms are preparing billion-dollar investment plans in Syria as part of Riyadh’s push to support the country’s postwar recovery, but U.S. restrictions have been a major obstacle to large-scale foreign capital inflows, Reuters said.