ISTANBUL — Syria's transitional government on Friday hailed a landmark US Senate decision to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019 as a "constructive step" toward mending fractured ties between Damascus and Washington, while unlocking pathways for economic revival in the war-ravaged nation.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing deep appreciation for the Senate's adoption of a provision within the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026 that mandates the full repeal of the Caesar Act by year's end. "We welcome the positive development represented by the US Senate’s adoption of a provision within the budget bill that stipulates the repeal of what is known as the ‘Caesar Act’," the ministry said. The legislation, which took effect on June 17, 2020, was originally enacted to punish the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad for documented atrocities, including the systematic torture and extrajudicial killings of detainees exposed in the 2014 "Caesar Report" — a cache of 55,000 photographs smuggled out by a Syrian military defector known only as "Caesar."
The ministry underscored that while the sanctions were justified against Assad's "crimes," their persistence post-ouster in December 2024 inflicted "severe humanitarian and economic repercussions on the Syrian people and has negatively affected the lives of civilians across various sectors." Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani echoed this sentiment on X, describing the repeal as "one of the heaviest burdens that has shackled our nation economically and politically" now lifted, restoring "Syria's first breaths" and opening "a new path towards rebuilding and recovery." He thanked US legislative leaders for a "responsible American approach" that recognizes the need to reassess outdated policies, framing the move as a "historic turning point" for bilateral relations, regional security, and humanitarian cooperation.
The Senate passed the $913.9 billion NDAA on Thursday evening with bipartisan support, securing 77 votes in favor and 22 against in the 100-member chamber — a margin reflecting broad consensus on supporting Syria's fragile transition despite lingering skepticism from some quarters. The bill, which authorizes defense spending and policy for the upcoming fiscal year, embeds the Caesar repeal as a cornerstone provision, downgrading prior binding conditions on the Syrian government — such as prisoner releases and human rights probes — into non-binding advisory goals. A separate clause calls for a congressional review on reopening the US Embassy in Damascus, closed since 2012 amid escalating civil war tensions, signaling a potential thaw in diplomatic frostiness.
However, the path forward remains circuitous. The Senate's version diverges from the House's NDAA, which notably omits the repeal provision after an amendment to include it was defeated last month. Lawmakers from both chambers will convene in a joint conference committee to reconcile differences, a process that could stretch into late November or December. Only upon House approval and President Donald Trump's signature — expected given his May 2025 pledge to lift sanctions and "give [Syria] a chance at greatness" — will the repeal become law. A non-binding safeguard allows Congress to debate reimposition if Damascus stalls on reforms for 12 consecutive months, ensuring accountability without derailing recovery.
For Syrians, the Caesar Act symbolized both justice and hardship. Enacted during Trump's first term and renewed in the 2025 NDAA under President Biden, it imposed sweeping secondary sanctions on any foreign entity — banks, firms, or governments — facilitating significant transactions with Assad's apparatus, including in construction, energy, and finance sectors critical to reconstruction. Proponents, including initial cosponsor Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), hailed it as a tool to "financially punish Assad and his associates for committing atrocities," deterring allies like Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah from propping up the regime. Yet critics, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), argued it morphed into "collective punishment," exacerbating poverty and blocking aid amid Syria's 13-year civil war that displaced over half the population and killed up to 600,000.
The act's toll was stark. By targeting third-party enablers, it severed Syria's access to global finance, causing the lira to plummet — from 3,000 to the dollar in June 2020 alone — and inflating essentials like food and fuel by up to 300%. Reconstruction, estimated at $400 billion, ground to a halt as foreign investors shunned deals fearing US penalties, leaving infrastructure in ruins: bombed-out hospitals, shattered roads, and powerless grids. Humanitarian exemptions shielded aid flows — the US funneled $16 billion since 2011 — but indirect effects rippled: Lebanese banks, key conduits for remittances, collapsed under secondary pressures, stranding expatriate funds vital for 90% of Syrian households. Over 12 million faced acute food insecurity, with child malnutrition rates doubling to 28% by 2023, per UN data.
Finance Minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh called the vote a "joyful announcement" and "diplomatic success," urging swift House passage to end the "last and toughest" US sanctions. Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa termed it a "new success for active Syrian diplomacy" and diaspora advocacy, crediting "sincere Syrians" in the US for lobbying efforts. The Syrian American Council, a key proponent, celebrated it as a "dramatic victory," noting the shift from mandatory to aspirational reforms thwarts "swords over investors' heads."
This vote caps a whirlwind year since Assad's dramatic flight to Moscow on December 20, 2024, ending the Ba'ath Party's iron-fisted rule that began with his father Hafez's 1970 coup. The 13-year uprising, sparked by Arab Spring protests in Daraa, devolved into a proxy quagmire: Assad's barrel bombs and chemical attacks — including sarin in Ghouta (2013) and chlorine in Douma (2018) — drew Russian airstrikes from 2015 and Iranian militias, while US-backed Kurds battled ISIS in the east. Casualties mounted, with over 6.8 million refugees and 7.4 million internally displaced, per UNHCR.
Assad's downfall was swift and stunning. In November 2024, a resurgent Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) — once al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate — launched "Operation Dawn of Freedom," sweeping from Idlib through Aleppo, Hama, and Homs in days, aided by defections and Turkish border incursions. Assad, facing encirclement in Damascus, evacuated to Russia's Khmeimim airbase before exiling in Moscow, where he resides under Kremlin protection amid unconfirmed reports of asset seizures. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, emerged as the architect, rebranding from jihadist firebrand to pragmatic statesman.
Born in 1982 in Riyadh to Syrian parents, al-Sharaa grew up in Damascus, radicalized post-2003 US Iraq invasion. He joined al-Qaeda in Iraq, earning a reputation as a bomb-maker and financier through truck "taxation" at Turkish borders, and endured six years in Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca prisons. Released in 2011, he founded Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Qaeda's Syrian arm) but broke ties in 2016, forming HTS to govern Idlib's 4 million residents with civil services, courts, and anti-corruption drives — a "jihadist Taliban" evolution, per analysts.
On January 29, 2025, the Syrian Revolution Victory Conference in Damascus appointed al-Sharaa transitional president for a five-year interim, suspending the 2012 constitution and forming a caretaker cabinet under Prime Minister Mohammed al-Bashir. He pledged inclusivity: protecting minorities (Alawites, Christians, Kurds), pursuing transitional justice via a National Commission for Missing Persons, and hosting a "national dialogue" for elections by 2030. Decree 66 in June established a Supreme Committee for parliamentary elections, emphasizing women's quotas and sectarian balance.
Al-Sharaa's pivot won cautious Western nods. In his first UN General Assembly address on September 24, 2025 — Syria's first in 58 years — he decried Assad's "deep societal wounds" and invited diaspora investors, praising Trump's sanctions lift as "historic and courageous." Time magazine named him among 2025's 100 most influential, lauding his "pragmatic governance" against renewed Israel clashes or Iranian meddling. Yet shadows linger: HTS's US terror designation persists, though Trump ordered reviews of HTS and al-Sharaa listings in June. Human Rights Watch flagged post-offensive abuses against Alawites, prompting al-Sharaa-ordered probes.
Regionally, the repeal reverberates. Turkey, hosting 3.6 million refugees, eyes repatriation incentives; Saudi Arabia hosted al-Sharaa-Trump Riyadh talks in May, pledging $5 billion in aid. Russia, stung by Assad's fall, seeks reparations talks but retains Tartus naval base leases. Iran-backed militias in Deir ez-Zor face drawdowns, easing US-Kurd tensions. The EU lifted select sanctions in February, unlocking €1 billion in humanitarian funds.
Economically, repeal could catalyze inflows: Gulf sovereign funds eye $50 billion in energy deals, per Argus Media, while World Bank pilots $2 billion in microfinance for SMEs. Syrian GDP, contracting 80% since 2011 to $11 billion, could rebound 5-7% annually with normalized trade, analysts project, prioritizing agriculture (employing 20% of workforce) and phosphates exports. Remittances, at $1.5 billion yearly, would surge sans Lebanese banking woes.
Challenges abound. House hawks like Rep. Wilson push for "full repeal" but warn of veto threats if reforms lag. Al-Sharaa's HTS baggage fuels Islamist fears, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) demanding FTO delisting audits. Internally, Druze in Suwayda and Kurds in Rojava seek autonomy guarantees, while Assad loyalists plot from exile.
As Director of American Affairs Qutaiba Idlbi told SANA, "Syria is opening a new chapter of partnership and mutual respect," vowing full repeal advocacy for "dignity, development, and prosperity." For millions of Syrians — from Aleppo's rubble-dwellers to Berlin's expatriates — this vote isn't just policy; it's permission to dream of normalcy after endless night.
