May 11, 2004

White House to impose sanctions on Syria

President Bush will order economic sanctions against Syria this week for supporting terrorism and not doing enough to prevent militant fighters from entering neighboring Iraq, congressional and administration sources said Monday.

The sanctions, which the White House will impose as early as Tuesday, are being ordered because the administration believes Syria has aggravated tensions in the Middle East by supporting militant groups.

"We have talked previously about our concerns when it comes to Syria's continued development of weapons of mass destruction, when it comes to their support for terrorism and when it comes to their failure to adequately police its border with Iraq," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.
[...]
Bush signed the Syria Accountability Act in December, one month after Congress overwhelmingly approved it. It bars U.S. exports to Syria of dual-use items that could have military applications. It also requires Bush to choose at least two of six possible economic or diplomatic sanctions.
[...]
Syria has been on the State Department's list of terror-sponsoring nations for its support of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah that attack Israel. U.S. officials have also said that Syria hasn't done enough to prevent anti-American fighters and arms from crossing its border with Iraq. They have also criticized its domination of Lebanon, where it has based thousands of soldiers.

This very much needed to happen, so I'm glad it will.
Syria's been playing the WOT pretty fast and loose, even staging a terror attack against themselves a few weeks ago so that they could claim that they were "against terrorism, too."
Noone was really fooled, except poor well-meaning Mansoor Ijaz.
But the U.S. has given Syria a lot of time and many opportunities in the 2 and 1/2 years since 9/11 to mend her ways and not much has been forthcoming.
I doubt these sanctions will bring Syria and Baby Assad to heel, but it's a start.
(And I still think Saddam rolled most of his WMDs into Baathist Syria, as well.)