The Caesar Act
Khalil Ashawi/Reuters
This is something that has quite possibly flown under the political radar of many people during the pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, but that does not mean that it should not be given some attention. The Caesar Act quietly passed into action on the 17th of June, and with quite the ramifications. The act moves to establish an enormous political and economical pressure on the Assad government in Syria and anyone who supports them or even thinks of doing business with them. The act establishes economic and travel sanctions on any individual or organization involved with propping up the Syrian government, regardless of nationality or affiliations. The act could prove to establish a domino effect in the region that could tip the hands of fate to finally effect real changes towards a more democratic Middle East.
The act was named after a photographer for the Syrian military smuggled over 50,000 photos documenting the human rights abuses under the Assad regime. The man codenamed 'Caesar' has given the world evidence of the criminal acts established by a government that cares only about propping up itself and those who are close to it. Passed as part of the National Defense Authorization act and Executive Order number 13894, moved to establish economic sanctions to pressure the Syrian government into meaningful change. The act establishes sanctions in particular on the following sectors for the government: Gas/Oil, construction, and military aircraft. This was built in mind with a number of objectives that are very clear.
Halting the military air campaign and its targeting of civilians.
Allow humanitarian aid to go into Syria without interference.
Releasing all political prisoners.
Comply with international treaties on biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons
The safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Syria refugees.
The establishment of an accountability, truth, and reconciliation process.
The ramifications for the act are huge, and they are not going to only affect Syria and the Assad regime. Before the first round of sanctions even took place, The economy of Syria was already seeing the ramifications. The top businessmen in the country were already shaping themselves up to deal with the sanctions, hurting the average citizen in the process. The exchange rate for the Syrian Lira to the American Dollar has doubled and the value of the currency has already gone off a cliff. This is multiplied by the banking crisis in Lebanon where many Syrians hid their money for various reasons. While the sanctions spare humanitarian aid and allows for it, the regime certainly will not cooperate with it for any number of various reasons: to resell it on the black market, to use it for itself, etc. The sanctions have also caused a major rift amongst the elites in Syria. Bashar Al-Assad has laid siege to the funds of a close member to his family and government, Rami Makhlouf. This was done in an effort to obtain funds, but the fact that the regime betrayed one of their long-time allies and friends shows the pressure they are feeling at the moment.
The economical ramifications lay beyond the borders of Syria. The scope of the sanctions is not limited to any nationality or geographical location. This gives the United States authority to throw additional sanctions in the face of Iran and Russia, Assad's main backers. Their economies are already quite fragile due to the oil price and the global pandemic. Another round of sanctions might be the knockout blow to them and will get them to think twice before they decide to back up Assad again. The scope of the sanctions also prevent them from engaging in talks about reconstructing the country. Although Syria is in dire need of it with Idlib needing six years to clear the debris and Homs needing two and a half years, This specific section was placed to deter them from profiting from all the suffering and the destruction they have caused. The trade off for a fragile economy may not be worth the return they are getting.
With the economical health of Syria and the potential strain that could be caused to the average Syrian, who could not afford anything in the first place, we have to consider the sanctions carefully. The language of the sanctions is not ambiguous. It is clear, targeted, and was written with the average Syrian in mind. This is good for the reason that it does not provide overreaching sanctions that could send more than 80% of the Syrians who live in poverty into extreme poverty. Another benefit of the sanctions is that there is no limit on who it applies to. The act leaves the door wide open to target any organizations that might be affiliated with Russia and Iran, and even the countries themselves if caught. This is made with intent to cut the supply lines that Assad has relied on so much in producing his near endless massacres. The demands set by the act also leave no room for negotiation. They ensure the demands of the Syrian people and a dignified life for them if they are met, which I sadly do not believe they will be met soon. The release of all political prisoners and accountability for the Assad regime are two major demands that will produce real change if met. They are the hardest, but their ramifications are huge. The release of all political prisoners will bring about more free speech to the street and ensure that no others will be arrested for the same crime, speaking their minds. The accountability for Assad, despite it being near impossible, it will almost certainly remove most if not all the corrupt leaders from the government. It will be very hard to hold a dictator accountable for his war crimes, but the people in the streets have already taken it into their hands to protest the worsening economic situation.
To ignore the fact that the average Syrian citizen will suffer is to ignore reality and fact. We are talking about one of the most if not the most, oppressive and corrupt regimes in the world. The U.S. interest in this case is vital to minimize damages. We have a real chance to produce real changes and turn an autocracy into a democracy. All victories inevitably come at a cost. This victory is very likely to extract a toll on Syrian, but at the same time, the payoff will be a movement towards a democracy for which the Syrian have worked and shed blood for over nine years.