The United States is considering imposing new sanctions
on Syria.
Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would
ensure additional sanctions on Damascus unless it ends support for
terrorism. Syria appears on the State Department list of terrorist sponsors
and harbors several Islamic and Palestinian insurgency groups.
The additional sanctions would include a ban on the export to Syria of
any weapons or munitions as well as dual-use items. Such items appear on the
the U.S. Munitions List or Commerce Department's Control List of dual-use
productions. In addition, Washington would ban all U.S. government
assistance to Damascus as well as investment in and the export of U.S.
products to Syria.
Under the bill, Syrian diplomats in Washington and New York would be
forced to travel only within a 25 mile [40 kilometer] radius from those two
cities. U.S. diplomats would be required to reduce contact with Damascus and
Washington would block any financial transaction in which the Syrian
government has an interest.
The bill sets four conditions for Syria to avoid additional sanctions.
They are the termination of Syrian support for terrorist groups, the
withdrawal of all Syrian military or security personnel from Lebanon, the
end of Syria's missile and nonconventional weapons programs, and
certification that Syria is no longer in violation of United Nations
Security Council resolutions.
These include resolutions against terrorism and the occupation of
Lebanon, which contains more than 20,000 Syrian troops. Damascus is also
said to be importing up to 200,000 barrels of oil in violation of UN
sanctions on Iraq.
Under the bill, termed the Syria Accountability Act and unveiled last
week, President George Bush would have to certify these conditions. The bill
provides the president with what sponsors termed a "menu of sanctions" as
well as a provision to wave these measures if determined that
sanctions would hurt U.S. national security interests.
"The government of Syria continues to develop and deploy short and
medium range ballistic missiles," the bill said. "The government of Syria is
pursuing the development and production of biological and chemical weapons."
U.S. law prevents the transfer of most aid to Syria because of its
inclusion in the State Department list of terrorist sponsors. But the
sponsors said fewer U.S. sanctions apply to Syria than to other states that
appear on the State Department list.
"The United States will not provide any assistance to Syria and will
oppose multilateral assistance for Syria until Syria withdraws its armed
forces from Lebanon, halts the development and deployment of weapons of mass
destruction and ballistic missiles, and complies with Security Council
Resolution 661 [sanctions on Iraq] and subsequent relevant resolutions," the
legislation said.
Since 1990 the House and Senate and House have passed seven bills and
resolutions that call for the withdrawal of Syrian armed forces from
Lebanon.