واشنطن تتجه إلى إلغاء «قانون قيصر»

The Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara discussed during a lengthy meeting with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, Brian Mast, the sanctions imposed on Damascus and ways to alleviate them, just hours before a "historic" meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

Giving Syria a Real Opportunity

The Syrian news channel reported Mast saying: "It is time to reconsider Washington's approach to the Syrian file," expressing understanding of Damascus's position regarding the repercussions of the sanctions on civilians' lives.

Syrian-American coalition member Abdul Hafiz Sharaf stated that this meeting led to a significant change in Mast's mood and a considerable softening of his stance, transforming Mast from being the main obstacle to the repeal of the Caesar Act to being almost supportive of its repeal.

Sharaf quoted Mast as saying after the meeting: "It is time for peace and to give Syria a real opportunity."

Repealing the Caesar Act

Congress enacted the Caesar Act on December 11, 2019, to punish the pillars of the Assad regime for war crimes committed against civilians in Syria. However, the continuation of the law after the fall of the previous regime negatively affects the Syrian people, as it imposes sanctions on any local or foreign entity that invests or deals with the country in sectors such as energy, aviation, or construction.

Last October, the U.S. Senate approved attaching the bill to repeal the "Caesar Act" to the defense authorization bill for the 2026 defense budget, marking an important step and a significant advance towards repealing the law.

However, a complete repeal of the "Caesar Act" requires the approval of the House of Representatives, which will discuss all provisions of the defense authorization bill before passing it on to President Donald Trump for ratification, making the repeal of sanctions on Syria effective.

There are divisions within Congress, in both the House and the Senate, between Republicans and Democrats regarding the repeal of the law.

Restoring the Syrian Economy

The new Syrian administration is seeking to restore the economy that was devastated by the previous president Bashar al-Assad's regime through trade agreements, opening up to regional countries, and attracting investors, with the aim of improving the living standards of citizens.

Shara's visit comes as a culmination of a dramatic political shift in Syria, after he led a military operation that ousted President Assad last December.

Shara met Trump for the first time last May during the U.S. president's visit to Saudi Arabia, and recently held talks in Washington with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund to discuss opportunities for supporting the reconstruction of Syria, which the World Bank estimated would cost over $216 billion.

Security File Takes Precedence

Diplomatic sources expected the security file to top the agenda of the meeting with President Trump, amid reports of U.S. mediation between Syria and Israel regarding a potential security agreement, while it is likely that Syria will officially announce its joining the international coalition against ISIS.

Shara had announced during his meeting with the Syrian community in the United States that work is underway to conclude a new security agreement with Israel, confirming that Syria demands a return to the borders that existed before December 8.