14 November 2003

U.S. Senate Approves Legislation to Impose Sanctions on Syria

President could waive sanctions for national security reasons

By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The U.S. Senate joined the House of Representatives in approving legislation to impose diplomatic and economic sanctions on Syria to force it to stop sponsoring terrorism, halt development of chemical and biological weapons, and withdraw its military forces from Lebanon.

The legislation -- known as the Syria Accountability Act -- won widespread support from congressional Republicans and Democrats, and moved swiftly through both chambers. A slight difference between the Senate and House versions of the legislation will have to be resolved before both chambers give it final approval, but that is expected to be completed by the end of the week beginning November 17. President Bush is expected to sign the measure into law before Congress adjourns this year.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters November 5 that the president wants to see a final version of the legislation before he signs it into law. "Obviously, we want to see the final version of that [the legislation], but we have said that we would not object to that. We have a number of concerns with regards to Syria and we've expressed those concerns," he said during a news briefing.

The Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 89 to 4 late on November 11, after the House of Representatives approved its version on October 15 by a vote of 398 to 4. Customarily, Congress takes considerably longer to debate, deliberate and vote on bills that carry economic and political sanctions. The White House had opposed similar legislation in the last session of Congress, but signaled last month that it would support the measure this session.

William Burns, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee October 30 that "we face some real problems in Syrian behavior that we cannot afford to ignore. Action on the Syria Accountability Act certainly makes clear the depth of congressional concern on these issues and the consequences of inaction by Syria."

"Dialogue and diplomacy between the United States and Syria have always been difficult and often frustrating," Burns said.

The legislation would prohibit the export to Syria of military and "dual-use" (civilian and military) technology. And, the legislation would: keep Syria on the Department of State's official list of nations that sponsor terrorism, demand that Syria withdraw its military forces from Lebanon, condemn Syria's chemical and biological weapons development program, and hold Syria responsible for supporting terrorism against U.S. military forces in Iraq.

Additionally, the legislation would require the president to select two sanctions from a list that includes:

-- banning all U.S. exports to Syria, except for food and medicine;
-- prohibiting American businesses from investing or operating in Syria;
-- freezing Syrian government assets held in the United States;
-- banning Syrian commercial aircraft from U.S. air space;
-- reducing diplomatic contacts; and
-- prohibiting Syrian diplomats from traveling more than 25 miles from Washington, D.C., or from the United Nations headquarters in New York.

"This bill will make clear to Syria what we expect of it," said Senate Minority Leader Thomas Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat.

The differences in the House and Senate versions of the legislation turn on giving President Bush authority to waive some or all of the sanctions if he finds it in the interests of U.S. national security to do so.

The House-passed version of the bill would give Bush no authority to waive the ban on military and dual-use exports. It also would provide less flexibility for the president to waive sanctions for national security reasons.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, an Indiana Republican, said the Senate-passed bill allows the president "to calibrate the United States' sanctions against Syria in response to positive Syrian behavior."

Lugar had sought more flexible authority for the president to waive sanctions. "At the end of the game, we want Syria to change its policy and be much more cooperative. If, in fact, the sanctions are to have some relevancy, there has to be the ability to waive them when and if you have the opportunity for a diplomatic breakthrough," he said.

The House bill had 281 co-sponsors while the Senate version had 76 co-sponsors, which is highly indicative of the legislation's bipartisan support in Congress.