The US encroachments continue on the Syrian-Iraqi borders, as the US army continues to reinforce its illegal bases in the Syrian oil fields, by bringing in convoys of trucks carrying logistical equipment.
US lawmakers at the Foreign Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives called on President Joe Biden not to extend the exemption for Damascus from sanctions, or to re-issue the “General Syrian License GL 23”, which was approved by Washington for a period of six months after the catastrophe of the devastating earthquake that struck Syria last February.
The US lawmakers believe that the US license, which expires on August 8, covers a range of humanitarian activities, and provides sufficient flexibility to move within the complex operating environment in Syria, demanding the publication of information about it, instead of extending the exemption.
US lawmakers stressed that the opening of Washington’s allies in the Middle East to Damascus would undermine the effectiveness of the sanctions imposed on Syria.
On July 19, the Republican and Democratic parties in the US House of Representatives proposed “Anti-Captagon Act 2,” after the US administration announced its “strategy” to combat the Captagon trade last June.
On December 8, 2022, the US Congress approved the “Anti-Captagon Act” in Syria, with the support of 83 senators and 11 opposition, after lawmakers were able to integrate the project into the US defense budget for 2023.
Estimates confirm that the Anti-Captagon Act mainly affects industries.
The process of tightening US sanctions on Syria comes at a time when there is increasing talk about the increasing economic pressures the country is witnessing, as a result of internal and external factors. Syrians live below the poverty line.
