The Scoop
Republicans and Democrats alike are open to loosening sanctions on Syria as President Donald Trump seeks to give the new government a “chance of greatness.”
Lawmakers are also wondering whether the administration removes the lingering terrorist designation on the new Syrian president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, according to several GOP sources.
In an interview on Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said there’s some interest in sanctions relief. “Obviously you worry — in that part of the world — about whether the new regime is committed to stability and human rights and democratic reforms and that sort of thing. But there is interest, for sure, in a new start there,” Thune told Semafor.
Across the aisle, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said on Monday he was “open to it, but I am not going to sell my vote cheap.”
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Talk of a potential removal of the terrorist designation is kicking around GOP Washington, according to four people familiar with the matter. The Biden administration dropped a $10 million bounty on al-Sharaa weeks before Trump took office, but the Israeli government has made clear that it’s skeptical of the new Syrian leader’s professed interest in more stable relations with both Israel and the US.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Turkey last week to meet with Syria’s foreign minister, indicated that the administration would begin by waiving sanctions to allow other countries to “flow in aid” — and previewed that a future step could involve pushing lawmakers to cut some of the sanctions permanently.
Democrats and Republicans alike seem open to that, seeing an opportunity to help Israel and Turkey, both US allies, and to undercut Iran by aiding Syria’s new leader.
“I think [al-Sharaa] would clearly understand that having the United States of America as a friend rather than an enemy means, No. 1, he might live a lot longer,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told Semafor. “And second of all, it means that there may be a chance for development of the economy in Syria.”
Trump’s shift on Syria is part of his “vision for peace” in the region, a White House official told Semafor — though the person said it’s too early to contemplate any possible investment deals, like those the US announced last week with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
It’s notable, though, given that Trump was previously reluctant to involve himself with the insurgency group now ruling Syria. Yet after the shift, Thune said “most of our members, I think, are kind of carving out space for the administration to see what they can do there,” he said.
“The leader in Syria has been characterized as a terrorist in the past, but apparently President Trump wants to work with him. I hope that his faith in this gentleman can be borne out,” Durbin said.
And while the US retains a military presence in Syria, it is in the process of scaling back its footprint there. Officials previously estimated fewer than 1,000 US troops will be left after the completion of that effort.