(New York Times) Michael Crowley - President Trump signed an executive order on Monday lifting most of the U.S. economic sanctions on Syria, despite concerns about its leaders' past ties to al-Qaeda. In May, President Trump met in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who assumed power in December. Sanctions would remain on former president Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia, and his associates, as well as others accused of human rights abuses, drug smuggling and terrorist activities. The president's special envoy for Syria, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., said Monday that the U.S. would watch to ensure that al-Sharaa's government meets its commitments on matters like ensuring that terrorists do not take root in his country. But he added that U.S. officials would not be "nation-building" in Syria, nor "dictating" what Syrian society should look like.
2025-07-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive