AMMAN — The recent landing of five
Jordanian planes carrying relief supplies at Aleppo Airport has prompted Jordanian experts and economists to demand that authorities push for a cancellation of the Caesar Act, a piece of US legislation sanctioning the Syrian government for war crimes against the Syrian population.
اضافة اعلان
The Caesar Act, which came into force in
June of 2020, restricts foreign countries’ commercial dealings with Syria in an
attempt to limit Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s power, in response to human
rights abuses by his regime.
Targeted by the act are various Syrian
industries, including those related to infrastructure, military upkeep, and
energy production, as well as businesses that deal with Assad.
Humanitarian exceptionsThe act, also known as the "Civilian
Protection Law in Syria", excludes humanitarian aid and allows activities
in support of humanitarian causes, including in areas controlled by the Syrian
regime. Despite this, the US has deemed it necessary to suspend its
implementation for a period of six months due to the
devastating earthquake that affected Syria.
“I believe that Jordan has an opportunity for optimal economic investment during this period.”
Jordan,
as one of the first countries to provide humanitarian aid to Syria after the
disaster, has played a role in the humanitarian efforts targeting the
neighboring republic, political analyst Amer Al-Sabaileh said.
However, economists and activists also see
this temporary suspension as a window of opportunity for a full cancellation of
the law, stating that the act has disrupted trade exchange between the Jordan
and its neighboring Syria.
Jordanian
economists tweeted about the need to lift international sanctions on Syria and
restore Jordanian-Syrian economic relations to their previous state, even after
the temporary hiatus on the act is lifted.
“I think that Jordan has been trying from the start to push for opening the
gates of trade exchange and the flow of goods between the two countries, as the
crisis … forced America to suspend sanctions for six months,” security and
military expert Omar Raddad told Jordan News.
“I believe that Jordan has an opportunity for optimal economic investment during this period,” he added.
An
‘open door’?Political
analyst Muhammad Al-Zawahra stated that, with the freezing of the act, Jordan
will have “an opportunity to normalize political and economic relations on the
one hand, and to find a good chance to invest in reconstruction by means of international
organizations.”
Another political analyst, Oraib Rantawi, told Jordan News that the humanitarian dimension of the catastrophe “will open
the door to the political and diplomatic dimension”.
In
this sense, “the earthquake catastrophe … appears to be the beginning of a
project to dismantle the Caesar Act and its strict sanctions against Syria, the
regime, the government, and the people”, he said.
The current situation demands “an expansion of the narrow margins in dealing with Syria”.
However,
“it is too early to talk about the size of any upcoming breakthrough in the
Caesar Act,” Rantawi noted. While signs of a breakthrough exist, they are still
limited, he said. The current situation demands “an expansion of the narrow
margins in dealing with Syria”.
Change
out of catastrophe“It
is true that the earthquake destroyed roads, demolished buildings, and impeded
the movement of individuals and vehicles, but it will build a virtual bridge
between Damascus and Ankara, creating an Arab opening towards Damascus,” he
said.
Rantawi
added: “the earthquake, which besieged tens of thousands
of Syrians, will be an important factor in lifting the siege on the Syrian
regime.”
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