Global Security Newswire

The U.S. House International Relations Committee is expected today to approve legislation that would impose sanctions against Syria if it does not end its support of terrorism and efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction, according to the Washington Post (see GSN, Sept. 25).

The Syria Accountability Act has more than 275 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and is expected to be easily approved by the full House next week, congressional aides said. In addition, more than 75 senators have expressed support for the bill and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is expected this month to consider it as part of a broader examination of U.S.-Syrian relations, the Post reported (Glenn Kessler, Washington Post, Oct. 8).

If approved, the bill would immediately impose penalties on Syria, including a prohibition on the export of U.S. military and dual-use items to Syria. In addition, the president would also be required to impose at least two of six measures included in the bill, such as such as a ban on U.S. exports to Syria, a downgrading of U.S. diplomatic representation there and a freeze on Syrian assets.

The sanctions in the legislation could only be lifted if the president certified that four conditions were met: that Syria no longer provides support for terrorism or allows terrorists to maintain facilities there, that Syria has removed all military, intelligence and security personnel from Lebanon, that Syria has ceased the development of biological and chemical weapons and the development and deployment of medium- and long-range ballistic missiles, and that Syria is no longer in violation of certain U.N. resolutions.

Under the bill, the president has the authority to issue six-month waivers of the six different sanctions listed in the bill if such a move is determined to be in the national interest of the United States. The ban on military and dual-use exports to Syria, however, cannot be waived (Mike Nartker, GSN, Oct. 8).

A recent White House decision to lift its opposition to the bill by not taking a position on it greatly improved the bill’s chances for congressional approval, according to the Washington Post. Previously, Bush administration officials had called on congressional leaders to not bring the bill up for a vote because of concerns it could jeopardize Syria’s cooperation in the war on terrorism.

“It looks like a fait accompli. The administration chose not to decide (its position on the bill), and in doing so made a choice,” a Bush administration official said. “There is a sizable reserve of support for a stronger position against the Syrians” throughout the administration, the official added (Kessler, Washington Post).