Congress members go to Syria, urge finish of sanctions : NPR

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Two members of Congress visited Syria this week, a Republican and a Democrat. They are saying they need to give Syria’s new authorities an opportunity to rebuild after a devastating civil struggle that ended when longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted final 12 months. NPR’s Michele Kelemen reviews that the lawmakers say it is time for the U.S. to repeal sanctions to offer Syria an opportunity.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the rating Democrat on the Overseas Relations Committee, says she was impressed by Syria’s new president, who met along with her on the palace the place ousted chief Bashar al-Assad as soon as dominated over Syria.

JEANNE SHAHEEN: So it was fairly opulent on an enormous hill overlooking town.

KELEMEN: The brand new chief, a former jihadi fighter, Ahmed al-Sharaa, confirmed her the view from his personal workplace.

SHAHEEN: This was an attention-grabbing reflection of how he feels concerning the Syrian individuals. He says he will get up within the morning, and the very first thing he does is look out over town of Damascus, and the very last thing he does at evening is look out over town of Damascus as a result of he is aware of how a lot there’s to do.

KELEMEN: It was a scene that additionally made an enormous impression on Congressman Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina. He, too, has had an extended curiosity in Syria.

JOE WILSON: In actual fact, I had such an curiosity in Dictator Assad, final November, he recognized me as an enemy of the state. So I used to be very blissful that he fled to Moscow three weeks later.

KELEMEN: What Syria wants now, Wilson says, is the prospect to rebuild. And meaning lifting U.S. sanctions, which ought to unlock international funding.

WILSON: We have to fulfill what President Donald Trump has mentioned – give Syria an opportunity.

KELEMEN: However there are numerous skeptics within the U.S. and in Israel, particularly after lethal clashes final month between Syrian forces and the Druze minority in southern Syria, near the border with Israel. Israel launched airstrikes in response, even hitting near that Damascus palace the place Shaheen and Wilson met with al-Sharaa. Israel, which has vowed to guard the Druze, would not belief al-Sharaa, who a 12 months in the past had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head for his previous hyperlinks to al-Qaida. Senator Shaheen tells NPR that if she have been to decide on a president of Syria, it will be somebody with expertise in democracy.

SHAHEEN: However that is not the place we’re. The place we’re is with a president who has overthrown a dictator that no person thought was going to have the ability to be overthrown.

KELEMEN: And it is a authorities that wants assist if Syria is to stay a unified nation.

SHAHEEN: It is a nascent central authorities. And I feel it is essential for us to do every thing we are able to to make sure that that authorities continues to maneuver ahead in a constructive means. And I hope that Israel might be supportive of that as properly.

KELEMEN: President Trump has waived sanctions that have been meant to punish Assad’s atrocities through the Syrian civil struggle. Shaheen is now sponsoring laws within the Senate to completely repeal the sanctions. Congressman Wilson is doing the identical within the Home. Michele Kelemen, NPR Information, Washington.

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