Donald Trump has signed an executive order to abolish the US sanctions against Syria, which was a step to support the country’s “route for stability and peace”.
The restrictions blocking any foreign financing were imposed on the government of Bashar al-Assad, which were overthrown by the rebels in December.
The White House stated that it would monitor the functions of the new Syrian government, with “to take concrete steps towards normalizing the relationship with Israel” along with “addressing foreign terrorists” and “banning the Palestinian terrorist groups”.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shabani said that this step would “increase the obstruction” for economic reform and open the country to the international community.
However, the US has banned the Islamic State Group and the Iranian proxy along with Asad and his colleagues.
Trump said he would lift the ban on Syria in May, before he met the new President of the country, former rebel leader Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh. The announcement raised a celebration on the streets of Damascus.
Shara’s Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al -Sham (HTS) – who overthrew Assad – was associated with Al -Qaeda in Syria, until he formed a relationship in 2016. HTS is still named as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the US and the UK.
Monday’s executive order directed State Secretary Marco Rubio to review the designation of HTS. It also states that the US wants the new Syrian government to take over the responsibility of detention camps in North-East Syria, where Islamic State prisoners are being held.
earlier this year, Rubio called for supporting Syrian transitional officersWarning that failure to achieve economic progress may lead to “full scale civil war” of the epic ratio.
Ninety percent of Syria’s population was left below the poverty line when the Assad regime was excluded at the end of 13 years of the devastating civil war.
The new Syrian leader has promised to protect the ethnic minorities of the country. However, in March, the mass killings of hundreds of citizens from the minority Alvite sect of Assad in the western coastal region, during clashes between new security forces and loyalty of Assad, have strictly strictly put the apprehensions between minority communities.
There have also been fatal clashes between Drew Religious Minorities from Islamic armed groups, security forces and fighters. And in June, at least 25 people were killed in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus.
Next to Monday’s signature, White House spokesman Karolin Levit told reporters that Trump was doing well on his commitment to support Syria’s stability and peace.
He said, “This is another promise and has been placed by this President to promote peace and stability in this region,” he said.
The American Special Envoy for the Syrian Thomas Barrack told reporters that the cancellation of sanctions “was the culmination of a very tedious, wide, painful process, how do you open these restrictions.”
He said, “Syria should be given a chance, and that’s what happened.”
More than 600,000 people were killed and 12 million others were forced from their homes during the rule of former President Asad.
