223 Representatives Urge President to Tighten Sanctions on Syria
On August 5, 2011, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ros-Lehtinen (R), Ranking Member Berman (D), and a bipartisan group of 221 Representatives sent a letter to the President urging the tightening of sanctions on the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.
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In the letter, the Representatives request that the President implement a number of key sanctions outlined in P.L. 108-175, the Syria Accountability & Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003. Although two of the available sanctions have been implemented—a ban on exports to Syria other than food and medicine and a ban on Syrian aircraft landing in or overflying the U.S. The Representatives believe that the time has come for implementation of further sanctions, specifically:
- a prohibition on U.S. businesses from operating in Syria; and
- blocking transactions in any property in which the Government of Syria has any interest, by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S.
In addition, the Representatives urge the application of the full range of Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act sanctions on any foreign entity that knowingly transfers to Syria goods, services, or technology that materially contribute to Syria’s efforts to develop nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, or ballistic or cruise missile systems. They also request that the President identify and implement additional sanctions to send a clear message to the Syrian government.
Press release, including text of letter, available here.