I posted earlier about a new bipartisan bill to advance accountability in Syria: the Syrian War Crimes Accountability Act of 2017 (current status is here). Two additional pieces of legislation are now floating around Capitol Hill that are concerned with promoting international justice for Syria. Both deserve our support.
First, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. This bill, which passed the House on May 17, (current status is here), announces that:
It is the policy of the United States that all diplomatic and coercive economic means should be utilized to compel the government of Bashar al-Assad to immediately halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people and to support an immediate transition to a democratic government in Syria that respects the rule of law, human rights, and peaceful co-existence with its neighbors.
The bill would impose a series of new sanctions that could be lifted by the president in the event that abuses cease, there are credible negotiations underway, or a peace agreement has been reached. Specifically, the legislation would:
- Impose additional financial and immigration sanctions on persons doing various forms of business with the government of Syria (including the provision of financial, material, or technological support).
- Impose arms and other embargoes on the government of Syria, including a ban on technologies related to chemical or biological weapons.
- Amend the Syria Human Rights Accountability Act of 2012 to impose additional sanctions on persons who are responsible for, or complicit in, human rights abuses committed against citizens of Syria; on transactions on goods and technologies that are likely to be used to commit human rights abuses in Syria; and on persons who hinder humanitarian access in Syria.
- Commission a report to Congress on whether or not a long list of named regime officials—including Bashar al-Assad—fall within the new sanctions regimes.
- Mandate an evaluation of existing assistance program in Syria by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
- Direct the submission of a report assessing the effectiveness, risks, and operational requirements of establishing a multilateral no-fly zone over part or all of Syria.
- Authorize the provision of funds to support entities that are conducting criminal investigations, building Syrian investigative capacity, supporting prosecutions in national courts, collecting evidence and preserving the chain of evidence for eventual prosecution against those who have committed war crimes or crimes against humanity in Syria, including the aiding or abetting of such crimes by foreign governments and organizations. (Although, once again, no additional funds are appropriated).
- Allow for various waivers of sanctions for humanitarian assistance and where it is vital to the United States’ national security interests.
As a novel carrot-stick component, the legislation would also allow the president to suspend sanctions if he certifies that the Government of Syria has ended military attacks and human rights abuses (including abusive detentions) against the Syrian people, if there are credible internationally-recognized peace negotiations underway, or if an international agreement has been concluded to end hostilities in Syria.
Read the full post at Just Security.
- Publication Type:Other Writing
- Publication Date:05/30/2017