Obama maintains sanctions: Syria 'supporting terrorism, ... pursuing WMD'
Monday, May 11, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has decided to maintain U.S. sanctions on Syria, despite a reconciliation dialogue with Damascus.
Obama, citing Syria's weapons of mass destruction program, has renewed two sets of sanctions on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, the president intends to continue the state of emergency regarding Damascus.
"The president took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions of the government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining U.S. and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq," the White House said on May 7.
The White House decision maintains sanctions on Syria until May 2010. Obama said Syria poses an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States." Officials said Syria has been used as a way-station by Al Qaida operatives destined for Iraq. They said Damascus has also failed to impose restrictions on Hamas and Hizbullah, regarded by the State Department as terrorist groups.
"This shows you that we still have some very serious concerns about Syrian behavior and activities in the world," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.
Over the last two months, Obama has sent envoys to explore the prospect of normalization with the Assad regime. The process was said to have accelerated in April.
"We conveyed President Obama's sincere commitment to pursue Arab-Israeli peace on all tracks, including on the Syrian-Israeli track," one U.S. envoy, Jeffrey Feltman, said in Damascus on May 8.
The United States began imposing sanctions on Syria in 2004 in wake of legislation passed by Congress. The sanctions have prevented the sale of military and dual-use systems to Damascus.
"I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect the national emergency declared with respect to this threat and to maintain in force the sanctions to address this national emergency," Obama said.