Posted on 11/21/2003 9:21:39 AM PST by anotherview
Nov. 21, 2003
Congress passes Syria sanctions bill
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON
Congress has passed legislation to impose economic penalties against Syria, reflecting broad agreement among lawmakers that Syria has been a detriment to the fight against terrorism in the Middle East and Iraq.
President George W. Bush is expected to sign the bill even though he is not enthusiastic about such restraints on his foreign policy. The measure requires the president to act if Syria does not make significant steps to reverse its tolerance and support of anti-American forces.
The House on Thursday voted 408-8 in favor of a Senate-amended version of the legislation that, at the urging of the White House, gives the president greater leeway to waive the punishment on the basis of national security.
"The Syrian regime has the blood of Americans on their hands," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Administration officials agree, she said, that "Syria is on the wrong side of history and now it is time for it to suffer the consequences."
Syria has long been on the State Department's list, along with North Korea, Sudan, Cuba, Iran and Libya, of state sponsors of terrorism, but is the only country on that list to have full diplomatic relations with the United States.
Awarding normal relations to Syria never made any sense, said Rep. Eliot Engel, a lead sponsor of the bill. With the bill, he said, "we are saying to Syria that the time is up... we are not coddling you any more."
U.S. officials acknowledge that Syria, at U.S. prodding, has taken steps to prevent anti-American terrorists and weapons from crossing its border with Iraq, but lawmakers said the Damascus government has fallen short in numerous other areas.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage agreed, saying that when Secretary of State Colin Powell visited Damascus in May "he made it very clear to President Assad and his colleagues that they had come to a fork in the road. ... They didn't choose to take the right one."
The legislation notes that Syria has provided a safe haven for anti-Israel terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad and is pursuing the development and production of biological and chemical weapons.
The bill states that Syria must end its support of terrorists, terminate its 27-year military presence in Lebanon, stop efforts to obtain or produce weapons of mass destruction and long-range ballistic missiles and interdict terrorists and weapons from entering Iraq.
If Syria fails to meet those conditions, the president must ban sales of dual-use items, which are those that could have both civilian and military applications. He also must impose at least two out of a list of six possible sanctions: a ban on exports to Syria, prohibition of U.S. businesses' operating in Syria, restrictions on Syrian diplomats in the United States, limits on Syrian airline flights in the United States, reduction of diplomatic contacts or a freeze on Syrian assets.
The original House bill gave the president waiver power for the two sanctions. The Senate, in approving the bill last week by an 89-4 margin, added an amendment that extended the national security waiver to include dual-use sales.
This and previous White Houses have made liberal use of waivers in the past to avoid disrupting diplomatic links with problematic nations, and sanctions on Syria would likely have greater political than economic effect. Bilateral trade with Syria amounts to only about $300 million a year.
There was no immediate comment from the Syrian embassy in Washington on the bill, although Syrian officials have warned that it would damage America's overall standing in the Middle East.
Ooops... my apologies to weasels. Unfair to them to be compared to politicians unwilling to act against terrorists.
Whoops, looks like they're on the road that will lead to meeting the US military.
National security eh? Just like the fact President Bush continues to waive the house resolution calling for the US embassy to move to Jerusalem, and just like the President waving sanctions over the PLO terror regime, allowing their offices to remain open, and allowing it to continue to receive US aid, even though it engages in terrorism against Israelis and Americans.
The interference with foreign policy is minimal. Like the Jerusalem Embassy bill or the bill closing PLO offices in the US, the sanctions can simply be waived by the White House.
Grampa Dave--Oops, by mistake I only pinged you that time :>)
We're off on the road to Damascus This camel is tough on the spine (hit me with a band-aid, Dad) Where they're goin', why we're goin', how can we be sure I'll lay you eight to five that we'll meet Dorothy Lamour (yeah, get in line)Off on the road to Damascus Hang on till the end of the line (I like your jockey. Quiet) I hear this country's where they do the dance of the seven veils We'd tell you more (uh-ah) but we would have the censor on our tails (good boy)
We certainly do get around Like Webster's Dictionary we're Damascus bound
We're off on the road to Damascus Well look out, well clear the way, 'cause here we come Stand by for a concussion The men eat fire, sleep on nails and saw their wives in half It seems to me there should be easier ways to get a laugh (shall I slip on my big shoes?)
Off on the road to Damascus Hooray! Well blow a horn, everybody duck Yeah. it's a green light, come on boys
We may run into vilains but we're not afraid to roam Because we read the story and we end up safe at home (yeah) Certainly do get around Like Webster's Dictionary we're Damascus bound
We certainly do get around Like a complete set of Shakespeare that you get in the corner drugstore for a dollar ninety-eight We're Damascus bound
Or, like a volume of Omar Khayyam that you buy in the department store at Christmas time for your cousin Julia We're Damascus bound (we could be arrested)
(from Road to Morocco)
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| John Conyers, Jr. (D., MI) | Dennis Kucinich (D., OH) | Nick Rahall II (D., WV) |
| John Dingell (D., MI) | Jim McDermott (D., WA) | Fortney P. Stark (D., CA) |
| Jeff Flake (R., AZ.) | Ron Paul (R., TX) |
WORLD TRIBUNE.COM ^ | Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Posted on 11/19/2003 1:25 PM PST by Mossad1967
The United States has deployed 20,000 troops along the Syrian border after Syria failed to stop militants from crossing into Iraq.
As late as October, U.S. officials said hundreds of Islamic insurgents were crossing into Iraqi from Syria. They said Syrian authorities had failed to respond to U.S. appeals to stop the flow of insurgents.
U.S. military officials said the U.S. troop presence was bolstered beginning in September and has resulted in a significant drop in infiltration from Syria. The U.S. troops are based in the Iraqi province of Anbar, Middle East Newsline reported.
Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, said the military completed a 200 percent increase in U.S. troops at Anbar. Swannack told a briefing in Baghdad on Tuesday that the increased deployment was also meant to stop infiltration from other Iraqi neighbors, such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia. But the U.S. presence has not halted the flow of insurgents from Syria. On Monday, the U.S. military said six suspected insurgents were captured near the Syrian border. One of them was later killed when he tried to attack a guard.
Swannack said the U.S. troop presence in Anbar has resulted in reducing the flow of insurgents from Syria. He said Islamic insurgents have launched attacks against the U.S. force near the 500-kilometer Syrian border. But he called the attacks ineffective.
"We are not fighting foreign fighters coming across the border in significant numbers," Swannack said. "We are fighting mostly former regime locals."
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