WASHINGTON — On Monday, the United States relaxed some of the prohibitions previously placed on Syria’s transitional government to facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance following the recent ousting of President Bashar Assad by Islamist militants last month.
The U.S. Treasury issued a general license that remains valid for six months, allowing specific transactions with the Syrian government, which includes certain energy sales and related incidental operations.
Although this action does not eliminate sanctions against Syria, which has endured over ten years of conflict, it highlights a cautious expression of U.S. backing for the emerging transitional government.
The general license accentuates the commitment from the United States to ensure that its sanctions do not obstruct essential services for the populace or humanitarian efforts, as stated by the Treasury Department.
Wally Adeyemo, the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, reaffirmed that the agency remains dedicated to offering support for humanitarian initiatives and promoting responsible governance across Syria.
In the wake of Assad’s removal, delegates from the new governing bodies in Syria have expressed intentions for an inclusive and globally open Syria.
The U.S. has gradually eased some restrictions following Assad’s departure to seek refuge in Russia. In December, the Biden administration opted to cancel a $10 million bounty that had been placed on a Syrian rebel leader whose forces were pivotal in the overthrow of Assad last month.
This development took place after a significant meeting in Damascus involving Ahmad al-Sharaa, leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously associated with al-Qaida, and Barbara Leaf, the leading U.S. diplomat for the Middle East, marking the first American diplomatic visit to Syria since Assad’s ousting. Notably, both the U.S. and the United Nations have labeled HTS as a terrorist organization.
HTS effectively spearheaded a rapid insurgency that resulted in Assad’s removal on December 8, thereby ending decades of rule by his family. Since the beginning of the uprising against Assad in 2011, the civil conflict has led to the deaths of an estimated 500,000 people.
Diplomatic relations with Assad have been severed by much of the international community due to his harsh responses to dissent, and he and his associates have been subjected to sanctions.
Most sanctions imposed by Western nations targeted Assad and his network, primarily for their severe crackdown on demonstrators and for producing Captagon, an amphetamine-like drug that has reportedly generated substantial profits through smuggling operations across Syria’s porous borders.
With Assad no longer in power, the new authorities in Syria are hopeful for an influx of international funding aimed at reconstructing the war-torn country and revitalizing its economy.
Syria’s infrastructure has been severely damaged over the years, resulting in frequent power outages and approximately 90% of the population living in poverty. Nearly half of the populace is unsure of where their next meal will come from, compounded by soaring inflation.
The call for lifting sanctions has intensified recently as aid organizations continue to scale back their programs in light of donor fatigue, as well as following a major earthquake in 2023 that affected both Syria and Turkey. This disaster claimed over 59,000 lives and devastated essential infrastructure, which remains difficult to repair owing to sanctions and overcompliance, despite some announced exemptions for humanitarian purposes.
Qutaiba Idlbi, a research fellow at the Atlantic Council who specializes in Syrian affairs, highlighted before the issuance of the general license that there is a consensus among regional and worldwide governments on the necessity to prevent Syria from plunging back into disorder. “The only path forward is to engage positively,” he remarked.
