Washington, D.C., 18 December (H.S.): The United States Congress decisively repealed the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act on Wednesday, embedding its termination within the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that cleared the Senate 77-20 after House approval.
This bipartisan maneuver—anticipated for President Donald Trump's signature—permanently lifts investment curbs and banking isolation imposed to penalize Bashar al-Assad's regime for atrocities documented by defector Caesar .
Trump, who twice waived enforcement amid entreaties from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, fulfills a pledge to empower Syria's post-Assad renaissance under Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former jihadist leader now clad in suits.
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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani hailed the verdict as a positive development unlocking new horizons for cooperation, assuaging fears that lingering statutes deterred risk-averse firms despite prior Treasury waivers .
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senate Foreign Relations top Democrat, framed the lift as a decisive step granting Syrians respite from decades of unimaginable suffering after a civil war that birthed ISIS and refugee tides.
Sharaa's Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham seized Damascus in December 2024's blitz, impressing Trump during their Riyadh summit.
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The NDAA mandates White House reports every 180 days for four years, certifying Damascus combats ISIS, expels foreign fighters, upholds minorities, and mends Israel ties—empowering targeted sanctions absent blanket revival.
This calibrated thaw follows UNSC delistings for Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, alongside Trump's May pivot and August Treasury delisting. As reconstruction beckons, the repeal signals Washington's bet on Sharaa's moderation over Assad's perdition.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
