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World Jewish News
Obama renews sanctions against Syria due to 'serious concerns'
08.05.2009
Despite sending two top officials to Damascus this week to try to improve ties, the US has decided to renew sanctions against Syria due to "serious concerns" over the country's behavior, an Obama administration official said on Friday.
One of US President Barack Obama's first foreign policy moves was to reach out to Syria as part of a new approach to the Mideast, but State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the renewal of sanctions is not a contradiction in US policy toward Syria.
"We have very serious concerns about Syrian behavior," he said. "And those haven't gone away. But what we're saying is instead of isolating Syria, we're willing to engage them."
"The president felt it was necessary to take these measures," Wood said, noting that by law Obama is required by law to review the sanctions every year and report to Congress.
Wood spoke cautiously of the prospects for progress.
"The Syrians have said a lot of very positive things, but we need to see actions," Wood said. "And as far as I'm aware, they haven't taken any steps that - at this point - would lead us to change, to move in another direction right now."
Obama signed an executive order on Thursday renewing the sanctions, shortly after senior State Department official Jeffrey Feltman and White House National Security Council official Daniel Shapiro met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem in Damascus.
Bush first imposed the sanctions in May 2004, citing Syrian support for terrorism, its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and other activities including efforts to undermine US operations in Iraq.
The sanctions are meant to target terror groups such as Hizbullah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, and aim to limit Syria's arms procurement. The sanctions also affect the national airline company "Syrian Air."
Washington has not had an ambassador in Damascus since Margaret Scobey was recalled in 2005.
During their visit in Syria on Thursday, the two US envoys assured the government in Damascus that the US is committed to pursuing a comprehensive Middle East peace that would include the Syria-Israel track.
"We came here today as part of President Obama's commitment to use diplomacy, to use dialogue in order to try to see where we can move forward, where our interests overlap, and to see where we can try to work together to bridge the differences that remain in some of our policies," Feltman said.
Their trip was part of the Obama administration's outreach to nations shunned by former president George W. Bush, including Syria's close ally Iran.
Источник: JPost.com
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