Trump expected to sign executive order easing Syria sanctions

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Significance of Trump's gathering with Syrian person

Unpacking the geopolitical value of Trump's clasp of Syria's caller president 04:04

Washington — President Trump is expected to motion an enforcement bid soon to easiness sanctions connected Syria, 2 sources acquainted with the anticipated bid archer CBS News. 

The expected enforcement bid comes aft Mr. Trump announced successful May during a travel to the Middle East that the U.S. would assistance each sanctions connected the country. While successful the Middle East, Mr. Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who announced a transitional authorities successful March. The Assad regime collapsed nether the value of an violative by absorption forces. 

Syria's transitional authorities has been pushing the Trump medication for sanctions alleviation for months, and immoderate enactment has been underway to easiness immoderate sanctions since earlier the president's May announcement. 

Some sanctions would inactive request to beryllium formally revoked by Congress, and immoderate sanctions successful spot connected Syria day backmost to 1979, erstwhile Syria was designated a authorities sponsor of terrorism.

The caller transitional authorities has blamed sanctions — which see penalties connected 3rd countries for doing concern successful Syria — for the country's inability to wage civilian work salaries, reconstruct sizable chunks of war-ravaged cities and rebuild a wellness attraction strategy decimated by war.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia, 2 U.S. allies successful the region, person backed normalizing relations with Syria's caller government. Both countries person provided assistance to Syria, and Saudi Arabia has offered to wage disconnected immoderate of the country's debts, 2 activities that could tally afoul of sanctions. The Saudis spot an accidental to triumph the caller Syrian authorities implicit to their side, aft decades of the state being allied with their apical determination rival, Iran, portion the Assad authorities was successful power.

Relief was a cardinal taxable successful meetings betwixt Syrian officials, including its Central Bank Governor Abdelkadir Husrieh, and different satellite leaders astatine the IMF and World Bank outpouring meetings past period successful Washington.

Some of the astir punitive measures were imposed implicit the past 2 decades connected the Assad authorities for quality rights abuses and enactment for groups designated by the U.S. arsenic violent organizations. The Assad authorities collapsed successful December arsenic rebel groups, including fighters led by Sharaa, swept into Damascus, ending a 13-year-long civilian war.

In 2003, then-President George W. Bush signed the Syria Accountability Act into law, which centered connected Syria's enactment for U.S.-designated panic groups similar Hezbollah, Syria's subject beingness successful Lebanon, arsenic good arsenic alleged improvement of weapons of wide destruction, lipid smuggling and backing of equipped groups successful Iraq aft the U.S.-led penetration successful 2003.

Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.

Camilla Schick

Camilla Schick is simply a British writer successful D.C. and CBS News' overseas affairs producer, covering U.S. overseas relations, the State Department and nationalist security.

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