A watching world struggles to find compassion for the new Syrian government as violence and targeted attacks continue to top headlines. Yet, the White House remains hopeful that Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa is capable of adhering to the conditions outlined in the lifting of sanctions signed by President Trump. Mr. al-Sharaa, once on the terrorist list with a $10 million bounty, has so far failed to protect innocent religious minorities; now two of our own American troops and an American translator have been killed due to the convergence of lack of proper rule of law and the vetting negligence that lead to the integration of radical elements in the Syrian security forces. Stakes became even more costly on Friday as the U.S. opened fire on ISIS strongholds within Syria in retaliation.
After two separate temporary orders lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law on Thursday sets out proper conditions not only to eliminate the threat of ISIS but also to remove foreign fighters. The trouble is, troops who once entered Syria as ISIS fighters have now been folded into Syria’s General Security Forces and are difficult to identify even if proper precautions were regularly observed. These are trained combat fighters who pose a direct threat to U.S. troops and the international community seeking to support Syria in its transition, as was tragically witnessed with the loss of Nathaniel Howard, Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and an American civilian interpreter. These unnecessary deaths and ongoing sectarian violence have raised questions as to Syria’s ability to root out bad actors without the presence of an international body.
This is just the latest in a continual string of senseless killing highlighting the gaps in Syria’s oversight and accountability of its own security forces. Continual attacks against ethno-religious communities like the Alawites, Christians, and Druze have wisely been addressed in the sanctions conditions which urge the Syrian government to uphold religious and ethnic minority rights in Syria. These include the ability to maintain one’s right to worship and believe freely, allowing for fair representation in government, and guaranteeing equal citizenship at all levels. The law goes further to require the Syrian government to actively prosecute those who have committed serious abuses of internationally recognized human rights, including the massacres of religious minorities, since the transition of the Syrian authority one year ago.
While these steps are right and good, the conditions and regular reporting requirements fail to have teeth, as recently expressed in a letter signed by over 100 members of Congress. While the White House continues to build trust with Mr. al-Sharaa and his interim government, it would be wise to strengthen the conditions, ensuring that necessary sanctions will be reimposed in the event Syria fails to make regular progress toward the conditions during the outlined two consecutive 180-day reporting terms.
Left unmonitored, with an agreed-on sunset period, lifting sanctions in Syria might bring additional investment but may ultimately lead to complete loss of any gain, as Syria either falters back into an Islamic state or lawlessness continues to prevail. As a Syrian American of the Alawite faith, people of my community and our Christian, Druze, and Kurdish friends live in fear of senseless violence and unfounded retaliation going unpunished daily. Recent reports highlighting the abduction and rape of women and girls from ethno-religious communities have been linked to Syrian Security Forces as well.
As the U.S. continues to consider its relationship with Syria, now with attacks targeted at helping Syria root out extremism, it is imperative to maintain strong oversight and accountability, not only to protect its financial investment and the rebuilding of Syria, but more importantly to protect innocent life who, through merely being born into a particular faith or culture, are targeted by would-be adversaries of the United States.
President Trump should keep a consistent and vigilant dialogue with Mr. al-Sharaa, expressing the gravity of the conditions outlined in the NDAA, and he should strengthen the language in next year’s authorization if significant improvement is not made to protect innocent lives, both religious minorities and U.S. troops.
