Syria–United States relations
Syria |
United States |
---|
Diplomatic relations between
The US government added Syria to its first list of "
After the government crackdown on
From the early stages of the conflict in Syria in 2011, the US and its allies have provided political, military and logistic support to the
History
1835–1946
The official relations began in 1835 when the United States first appointed U.S. consuls to
1957–1990
As a result of a failed
Syria was added to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism on the list's inception in 1979. In a 1986 interview on CNN, former US Secretary of State Alexander Haig, when asked which country he regarded as the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism, answered "unquestionably Syria."[citation needed] Also in 1986, the U.S. withdrew its ambassador and imposed additional administrative sanctions on Syria in response to evidence of direct Syrian involvement in an attempt to blow up an Israeli airplane. A U.S. ambassador returned to Damascus in 1987, partially in response to positive Syrian actions against terrorism such as expelling the Abu Nidal Organization from Syria and helping free an American hostage earlier that year.[15]
1990–2000
During the Gulf War in 1990–91, Syria cooperated with the United States as a member of the multinational coalition of forces. The U.S. and Syria also consulted closely on the Taif Accord, ending the Lebanese Civil War.
In 1991, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad made a historic decision to accept then-President Bush's invitation to attend a Middle East peace conference and to engage in subsequent bilateral negotiations with Israel. Syria improved its relations with the United States by securing the release of Western hostages held in Lebanon and lifting the travel restrictions on Syrian Jews.
Throughout the Clinton Administration there were multiple attempts to engage al-Assad in Middle East peace negotiations. These include several presidential summits including a visit by President Bill Clinton to Syria in 1994;[16] the last one occurred when then-President Bill Clinton met the President Hafez al-Assad in Geneva in March 2000.[17]
2001–2008
In the aftermath of the
Syria's opposition to the
Issues of U.S. concern include its ongoing interference in Lebanese affairs, its protection of the leadership of Palestinian rejectionist groups in Damascus,
Syrian Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
The 2003 Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act imposed sanctions on Syria, banning the majority of exports to Syria except food and medicine, specifically prohibiting the export of most goods containing more than 10% U.S.-manufactured component parts to Syria.[21]
Economic sanctions
A series of executive orders targeting Syria's government were enacted by President George W. Bush which included Executive Orders 13315, 13224, 13382, 13338, 13399, 13441, and 13460. These sanctions are imposed on certain Syrian citizens or entities due to their participation in terrorism, acts of public corruption, or their destabilizing activities in Iraq and Lebanon. In May 2004, a new comprehensive set of economic sanctions were enacted under the Bush administration by Executive Order 13338.[22]
2006 US Embassy bombing attempt in Damascus
On September 12, 2006, the U.S. Embassy was attacked by four armed assailants with guns, grenades and a car bomb (which failed to detonate). Syrian Security Forces successfully countered the attack, killing three attackers and injuring one. Two other Syrians killed during the attack were a government security guard and a passerby. The Syrian government publicly stated that terrorists had carried out the attack. The U.S. government did not receive an official Syrian government assessment of the motives or organization behind the attack, but security was upgraded at U.S. facilities. The Syrian ambassador to the U.S., Imad Moustapha, blamed the attack on Jund al-Sham;[23] meanwhile, President Bashar al-Assad, however, blamed U.S. foreign policy in the region as contributing to the incident.[citation needed][24]
Al-Qaeda, Iraq and foreign fighters
The U.S. has also blamed Syria for the movement of foreign al-Qaeda affiliates into Iraq.[25] The movement of these foreign fighters peaked between 2005 and 2007; however, Syria attempted to decrease such movement through increased monitoring of borders, and improved screening practices of those crossing the border. After 2009, the Syrian government indicated willingness to increase border security cooperation between Iraqi and US forces.[citation needed]
In 2008, the CIA and the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) carried out a paramilitary raid targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq in the town of Sukkariyeh in Abu Kamal. Subsequent reports revealed that nearly a dozen similar operations had taken place in Syria, Pakistan, and elsewhere since a 2004 classified executive order, the Al Qaeda Network Exord, permitted such missions, stipulating that those in sensitive countries such as Syria and Pakistan required presidential approval.[26][27]
Support for democratic opposition
Diplomatic cables between the US embassy in Damascus and the State Department that were released by WikiLeaks in 2011 revealed that, starting during the presidency of George W. Bush, the US gave financial support to political opposition groups and related projects, at least through September 2010. The cables were sent because embassy staff became worried as Syrian intelligence agents were investigating these programs. The financing included $6 million to the Barada TV satellite channel which broadcast anti-government programming into Syria. Barada was closely affiliated with the Movement for Justice and Development, a London-based network of Syrian exiles.[28]
Since 2009
Under President Barack Obama
The Obama administration initiated a policy of rapprochement with Syria. However, with the governments' violent response to the Syrian civil war in 2011, relations cooled dramatically and senior American officials, including President Obama himself, repeatedly called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign.
Syria has publicly condemned international terrorist attacks, as it denies any involvement in Hariri killing. According to the
Lifting of travel restrictions
In February 2010 the US
Re-engagement
On February 17, 2010, U.S. President Barack Obama appointed American diplomat Robert Stephen Ford to serve as the new U.S. Ambassador to Syria, the first since 2005 in the aftermath of the Hariri assassination.[31] Shortly after Ford's appointment, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William J. Burns arrived in Damascus and hosted talks with President Bashar al-Assad in an attempt to revive relations. The talks were described as "candid" and that common ground was met on those issues pertaining to Iraq and Lebanon.[32] In July 2010, Senator Arlen Specter met with al-Assad in attempts to further continue the new dialogue. In meetings revolved around discussing "specific steps to promote regional stability, revive Syria–Israel peace talks, and strengthen U.S.–Syrian bilateral relations."[33]
Reaction to Syrian Civil War
As the
Relations were further strained by Syrian security forces' failure to protect Robert Stephen Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, from being attacked by pro-Assad crowds on at least two occasions, as well as to prevent vandalism of the U.S. embassy and diplomatic property.[36] On October 24, 2011, the U.S. announced that it had recalled Ambassador Ford due to 'credible threats against his personal safety."[37]
After the revelation of the Houla massacre in May 2012, the U.S. State Department announced that Syrian chargé d'affaires in Washington had been given 72 hours to leave the country.[38]
Effective February 6, 2012, the U.S. Embassy suspended operations and closed for normal consular services. Currently, US interests in Syria are represented by an Interests Section in the Embassy of the Czech Republic.[citation needed]
In December 2012, US president
On September 4, 2013, the Syrian Parliament addressed a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives. This letter argued against a U.S. bombing campaign against Syria, appealing to the two governments' common fight against Islamic extremism and blaming recent chemical weapons attacks on insurgents.
Economic sanctions under Obama
In May 2010, President Barack Obama renewed Bush's sanctions against Syria.[44] As of 2010, there have been 20 Syrian citizens who have been sanctioned. On August 18, 2011, Executive Order 13582 signed by President Obama froze all assets of the Government of Syria, prohibited U.S. persons from engaging in any transaction involving the Government of Syria, banned U.S. imports of Syrian-origin petroleum or petroleum products, prohibited U.S. persons from having any dealings in or related to Syria's petroleum or petroleum products, and prohibited U.S. persons from operating or investing in Syria.[45] This is considered the start of the comprehensive U.S. embargo on Syria.
Arming Syrian rebels
Between 2013 and 2017, under the aegis of the covert CIA-directed operation
Under President Donald Trump
Trump's safe zone proposals
During and after his campaign, Trump proposed establishing safe zones in Syria as an alternative to Syrian refugees' immigration to the US. In the past "safe zones" have been interpreted as establishing, among other things, no-fly zones over Syria. During the Obama administration Turkey encouraged the US to establish safe zones; the Obama administration was concerned about the potential for pulling the US into a war with Russia.[51] Although safe zones were not in the final version of Trump's controversial Executive Order 13769, an earlier draft leaked several days before would have required the US to create a plan for safe zones in Syria.
On January 30, 2017, the Saudi government informed Trump that it supported the creation of safe zones in Syria and Yemen.
It was reported in July 2017 that President Donald Trump had ordered a "phasing out" of the CIA's support for anti-government rebels.[58] It was reportedly done in order to improve relations with Russia. It was said it would be done not without a return.[58] In December 2017, Max Abrams and John Glaser asserted in the Los Angeles Times that "[ISIL] imploded right after external support for the 'moderate' rebels dried up".[59]
On December 19, 2018, President Trump announced that he ordered the pullout of all 2,000-2,500 U.S. troops operating in Syria, though no clear timetable was given.
Policy on Bashar al-Assad
On March 29, 2017, during the presidency of Donald Trump the
On April 7, 2017, US missiles
In April 2018, the US, alongside France and the UK, carried out
On June 17, 2020, reports claimed that the US imposed tough new economic sanctions under the Caesar Act, targeting anyone doing business with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from anywhere in the world. The sanctions were imposed to compel the Syrian government to halt its human rights abuses on civilians and accept a peaceful political transition. For the first time, the US has targeted Bashar al-Assad's wife, Asma al-Assad, claiming that she is "one of Syria's most notorious war profiteers".[66]
On November 9, 2020, more sanctions were imposed on entities and individuals including parliament members who were supporting the al-Assad regime during the civil war.[67]
Under President Joe Biden
In March 2023, the US launched an
In September 2023, the US captured an ISIS official after conducting a helicopter raid in northern Syria.[69]
Since October 7, there have been at least nine drone and rocket attacks on American personnel in Syria as regional tensions over the 2023 Israel-Hamas war rise.[70]
See also
- 2023 American–Middle East conflict
- American-led intervention in the Syrian Civil War
- Foreign involvement in the Syrian Civil War § United States
- Syrian American
- CIA activities in Syria
References
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In addition to aligning with the Soviet Union and taking a fiercely anti-American position, he took an uncompromisingly hardline stance on Israel—especially after Egypt became the first Arab state to make peace with the Jewish state. To this end, Damascus began supporting militant Palestinian groups—a step that saw Syria become the first country to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S state Department; a status it still retains... the Assad regime launched a brutal crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. This led to widespread international condemnation from the United States and the European Union, among others... In addition to support from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, the United States, and other key Western States recognized the opposition as the legitimate voice of the Syrian people.
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This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
Further reading
- Sami Moubayed. Syria and the USA: Washington's Relations With Damascus From Wilson to Eisenhower (I.B. Tauris, distributed by Palgrave Macmillan; 2012) 207
- O'Sullivan, Christopher D. FDR and the End of Empire: The Origins of American Power in the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)
- Andrew James Bowen, Syrian-American Relations 1973-1977 (PhD diss., 2013)
- Jasmine K. Gani: Understanding and explaining US-Syrian relations: conflict and cooperation, and the role of ideology (PhD diss., 2011)