Tom Barrack: Lift Caesar Act to Support Syria

By Staff, Agencies

Congress must move to fully repeal the Caesar Act, said US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack, framing it as the “next step in truly giving Syria a chance,” as he praised what he described as a sweeping shift in regional dynamics driven by renewed engagement between Washington and Damascus.

In a detailed post on X, Barrack urged lawmakers to take the “historic step” needed to help Damascus “restart its economic engine” and allow Syrians “not only to survive but to thrive.”

His comments followed US President Donald Trump’s May 13 declaration that he would lift all US sanctions on Damascus to give Syria and its people a genuine chance at renewal, a decision that Barrack portrayed as central to reshaping Syria’s political and economic trajectory after years of isolation.

The US envoy said he had the “profound honor” of accompanying Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa during his recent White House visit, describing the meeting as a symbol of Syria’s transformation “from isolation to partnership.”

He noted that discussions between Trump and al-Sharaa were “warm and substantive” and rooted in a shared belief that “the time has come to replace estrangement with engagement,” with both sides reaffirming commitments to rebuild relations and pursue wider regional cooperation.

According to Barrack, al-Sharaa used the Oval Office meeting, attended by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials, to formally commit Syria to the US-led coalition aimed at advancing Washington’s agenda under the pretext of fighting “terrorism.”

This comes after Syria announced on November 10 that it had signed a political cooperation declaration with the International Coalition to Defeat the terrorist group ISIS.

On November 7, the US removed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, former Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham [HTS] leader Abou Mohammad al-Joulani, from its terrorism blacklist, just days before his Washington visit and following a Security Council vote to lift UN sanctions.

Barrack tied the move to regional diplomacy, highlighting a trilateral meeting involving Rubio, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], reshaping Turkish-Syrian-“Israeli” ties, and advancing ceasefire and border talks in Gaza and Lebanon.

He also praised Turkey’s “tireless role” in regional mediation and, along with Qatar and Saudi Arabia, credited Ankara for supporting “the resurgence of a Syrian nation state for the entire region.”

Barrack concluded by describing the overall US approach as one rooted in “security first, prosperity next,” arguing that Trump’s leadership is enabling former adversaries to become partners “through regional initiative rather than Western mandates.”