Murphy Statement on Plan to Lift Syria Sanctions

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Monday released the following statement supporting a plan for the U.S. to lift sanctions on Syria:

"Since the collapse of the Assad regime, events are moving quickly to shape the new reality in Syria, and the United States cannot be left on the sideline. Syria's path forward should be determined and led by the Syrian people, but the United States should be actively and directly engaging with the new leadership to help ensure a successful transition and protect key U.S. national security interests.

"The U.S. troop presence on the ground in Syria and our sanctions are important points of leverage that require us to be at the table. Decisions in Damascus will be made quickly, and too often other powers act as the U.S. wrings it hands over what to do. If it is in our interest to support the goals of the new government, the U.S. should not be stubbornly reluctant to lift decades-old sanctions that were constructed to put pressure on a government that is no longer in power. Most immediately, the U.S. should temporarily suspend sanctions that hamper the much-needed surge in humanitarian assistance and reconstruction that will be necessary to help support the Syrian people in the short term.

"Officials within HTS have publicly stated their intent to govern inclusively, and Syrians and the world will be watching over the coming months ahead to see whether they intend to follow through on that commitment."

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