Trump officially repeals Caesar Act sanctions on Syria

The US finally lifts sanctions that destroyed Syria's economy, prevented post-war construction, and plunged millions into extreme poverty  

News Desk - The Cradle

US President Donald Trump signed a law on 18 December officially repealing the brutal economic sanctions imposed on Syria under legislation known as the Caesar Act, which was meant to topple the government of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

Imposed in 2019, the “Caesar sanctions” crippled the Syrian economy, prevented post-war reconstruction, crashed the Syrian currency, and plunged millions into severe poverty.

Trump removed the sanctions in an effort to help Syria’s new government, led by former Al-Qaeda commander Ahmad al-Sharaa, to attract foreign investment, foster economic growth, and rebuild infrastructure after 14 years of war.

US sanctions were first imposed on Syria in the 1970s, but new sanctions were added in 2011, after Washington and Tel Aviv launched a campaign to topple Assad due to his anti-Israel foreign policy.

The CIA, Mossad, and allied intelligence agencies spent billions to funnel arms to Al-Qaeda affiliated militants devoted to toppling the government and establishing an extremist Islamic dictatorship.

The effort was finally successful in December of last year, when militants from Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a lightning assault from Idlib to capture Aleppo, and then Damascus.

Trump has been a strong supporter of Sharaa, who was invited to the White House in November. The visit was a tacit acknowledgment that Washington had covertly backed Sharaa for over a decade, despite previously designating him and members of HTS as terrorists.

The removal of the Caesar Act sanctions required congressional and Senate approval. Both legislative bodies agreed to repeal the sanctions on Wednesday by voting to approve a larger defense spending bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Trump’s signature on Thursday formally brings the NDAA into effect and removes the sanctions.

“Lifting the sanctions was the frontrunner in our mission to revive Syria’s economy,” Abdulkader Husrieh, Syria’s central bank governor, stated on Friday.

“What has happened is nothing short of a miracle,” he added.

“It is the signs of good things to come,” Mohamed Zuheir Maghribi, a fruit and vegetable trader in Damascus, told the New York Times (NYT) in response to the news.

“But we need to be patient. The government needs time.”

With the sanctions removed, Qatari, Saudi, Turkish, and US construction companies, investment funds, and financial institutions are expected to begin investing in Syria.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry, in a statement, considered that “the final removal of the Caesar Act, and the measures it included that affected various aspects of living and economic life,” is an important development that “opens the way for a new phase of recovery and stability.”

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement congratulating the Syrian people, saying that Trump’s decision will “contribute to supporting stability, prosperity, and development in Syria, in a manner that fulfills the aspirations of the Syrian people.”

Turkiye also welcomed the US decision. “We hope this step will further encourage international cooperation for Syria’s reconstruction and revival, thereby contributing to greater stability, security, and prosperity in the country,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli wrote on X.

The Syrian government under former president Assad became increasingly corrupt as the 14-year war dragged on, with relatives close to Assad taking control of key aspects of the economy.

However, Syria’s new president and his close family members have taken similar control of Syria’s new economy, in a further effort to loot the country.