23 September 2002
Bush Administration Urges Postponement of "Syria Accountability Act"
(Bill on Syria sanctions debated in Congressional committee) (1040)
By Stephen Kaufman
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington - The Bush Administration has asked Congress to refrain
from imposing sanctions on Syria as called for in the Syria
Accountability Act (House Resolution 4483). The act cites Syria's
support for terrorism, continued military presence in Lebanon,
cooperation with Iraq, and development of weapons of mass destruction
as reasons for imposing penalties.
In an opening statement to the House International Relations Committee
for the September 18 hearings on the bill, State Department Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Satterfield
acknowledged that the administration shared the concerns detailed in
the legislation. However, he argued that the proposed bill would
"complicate or even undermine our efforts" towards bringing about a
Syrian-Israeli peace agreement, maintaining high level communications
with Syrian officials to avert serious escalation on the
Israeli-Lebanese border, and obtaining Syrian cooperation with the
administration's policies towards Iraq.
The legislation, if implemented, would impose a ban on military and
dual-use U.S. exports to Syria, as well as prohibit U.S. businesses
from providing financial and investment assistance towards their
commercial activities in the country. It could also force President
Bush to ban all U.S. exports, reduce diplomatic contacts, and restrain
the movements of Syrian diplomats in the United States.
In a September 3 letter to Congressman Robert Wexler (Democrat from
Florida), President Bush expressed his opposition to the measure by
stating the new sanctions would "limit our options and restrict our
ability to deal with a difficult and dangerous regional situation at a
particularly critical juncture."
In the September 18 House International Relations Committee hearing on
the bill, the subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia heard
from the bill's proponents and detractors. Committee member Dana
Rohrabacher (Republican from California) described the session as "a
very, very thought provoking hearing and a very good debate."
House Majority Leader Richard Armey (Republican from Texas), one of
the bill's co-sponsors, argued that Syria should be held accountable
for its support of Hizbollah in Lebanon, an organization that he said
"until 9/11 had claimed the most American lives in terrorist attacks."
Even with Syrian cooperation with the U.S. against al Qaeda, Armey
said, "it is a quibble to me to say that Syria supports this terrorist
organization but not that one."
"For us to hold sanctions against other nations on the [state
supported] terrorist list and turn a blind eye to what is happening in
Syria today I think is an oversight that only invites other nations to
duplicate their trespasses," said Armey.
In the ensuing discussion, Rohrabacher stated his views on the meaning
of terrorism, urging Syrian authorities to take note of why the
legislation had come up for debate.
"If Syria wants to continue supporting organizations that attack
soldiers, well that's war. ... They're at war with Israel. That's not
terrorism," he said. "But I will tell you that when people explode
bombs and senior citizens are murdered or children are killed - or
women and children are killed, there's no accepting that."
"If the Syrians don't want this legislation to go forward, they can
easily stop it tomorrow by having a press conference and announcing
that there will no longer be any support or any place in Syria for an
organization that does these deeds," said Rohrabacher.
The sovereignty of Lebanon was another issue of concern. The bill's
other sponsor, Eliot Engel (Democrat from New York), remarking upon
the continued Syrian military presence in that country, said, "it's
time to let the Lebanese run Lebanon. It's time for Syria to get out.
It is incomprehensible that Syria became president of [the UN]
Security Council while occupying another country and I'm sorry to say
without even a peep out of the [Bush] Administration."
Edward Gabriel, former U.S. Ambassador to Morocco and current
President of the American Task Force for Lebanon, argued that the bill
would not advance a Syrian withdrawal. "To the contrary," he said, "I
believe an isolated Syria is likely to intensify its relationship with
Lebanon."
Gabriel said the Lebanese people would also suffer from penalties
directed at Syria by the legislation and added that in his July 2002
visit to the country, "no one we met with supported the Syria
Accountability Act, although they all want Syria out of Lebanon."
In his statement, Deputy Assistant Secretary Satterfield praised Syria
for its help in the war against al Qaeda, saying President Bush "has
taken note" of Syria's cooperation, which "has been substantial and
has helped save American lives."
Matthew Levitt, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, downplayed Syria's anti-terrorism efforts by pointing out
the lists and activities of groups designated by both the United
States and Europe as terrorist organizations within Syria and areas it
controls in Lebanon.
"We are becoming background noise," said Levitt, referring to
President Bush's many warnings against state sponsors of terrorism and
his promise to hold them accountable. "We're not doing that. It's all
talk and they hear it," he said.
For a business perspective on the proposed legislation, the committee
turned to William Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade
Council, Inc. and co-chairman of USA*Engage, a coalition of American
businesses, agriculture groups and trade associations which oppose
unilateral U.S. economic sanctions.
Reinsch strongly opposed the measure, arguing that unilateral economic
sanctions such as those enacted against Cuba and Iran "have an
unblemished record of failure."
Due to the globalization of international trade, countries targeted by
U.S. unilateral sanctions "are very rarely impaired in gaining access
to the products or financing they seek. At most, they may pay a small
premium or have to be content with less quality," said Reinsch.
Rather, he said, the 400 U.S. firms now doing business with Syria
would be the most affected by the sanctions. Their presence was
important, he said, because "in a globalized economy, the flag more
often follows trade than the reverse."
At the end of the day's hearings on the bill, one the participants,
Ambassador Gabriel, commended the sponsors Rep. Armey and Rep. Engel
for proposing the measure because of the detailed and thoughtful
debate it provoked.
"If it wasn't for this bill, we wouldn't have this debate," said
Gabriel. "It has helped the debate in the foreign policy questioning
that we need to have right now and I hope that we can find a common
way forward."
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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