United States
The United States has enacted different forms of sanctions against Syria, including specific sanctions targeted at the government, individuals and state institutions, along with more general sanctions directed at states that support international terrorism, which apply to Syria. U.S. sanctions are administered by the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC).
Specific sanctions
2003 Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
This act, implemented through Executive Order 13338, bars exports to Syria except food and medicine, bans Syrian-owned flights landing in or flying over the United States except in emergency cases, freezes the assets of certain Syrians and government entities, and begins to prepare a rule requiring U.S. financial companies to sever their contacts with the Commercial Bank of Syria.
Sanction against Commercial Bank of Syria
Section 311 of the USA Patriot Act imposes a special sanction barring U.S. banks and their international subsidiaries from doing business with the Commercial Bank of Syria
Targeted actions against institutions and individuals
President Bush has issued multiple executive orders beyond E.O. 13338 against Syrian state institutions and individuals. OFAC currently lists 20 individuals in Syria as having been sanctioned, which includes former government officials, businessmen and others, targeted for action. Notably, in February 2008, OFAC administered sanctions on Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad and a powerful Syrian businessman.
General sanctions
State sponsors of terrorism list
As a result of repeated determinations by U.S. secretaries of state that Syria has offered support for international acts of terrorism, the country has remained on the state sponsors of terrorism list since 1979. This designation bars foreign assistance to Syria, and requires the secretaries of state and commerce to notify Congress before licensing goods or technology exports, of any dollar amount, to Syria.
Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism and Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acts of 1986
The diplomatic security and antiterrorism act bans exports of all U.S. military equipment to Syria and the budget reconciliation act amends U.S. tax codes to prohibit foreign tax credits on income or war profits from Syria
The Anti-Economic Discrimination Act of 1994
A section of this act contains a clause that bans the trade of U.S. military equipment to countries that continue to apply the Arab boycott of Israel.
The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996
This act bars foreign aid to third states that provide assistance to countries on the terrorism list, subject to a presidential waiver, and prohibits financial transactions between U.S. citizens and governments on the terrorism list.
United Nations
In October 2005, after a United Nations (UN) investigation linked Syria to the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in February 2005, the United Nations approved a resolution threatening further action against Syria if the country did not end its obstruction of the ongoing investigation. While the resolution did not explicitly threaten sanctions against Syria, because of objections from Algeria (the Arab representative to the UN Security Council), China and Russia, it did not forbid such action.
European Union
Syria is the only Mediterranean country that does not have a functioning EU association agreement, though the EU is a trade partner with Syria. EU association agreements provide non-EU countries with greater access to EU markets, funding and assistance. Although the EU and Syria initialed an association agreement in October 2004, the agreement stalled following a freeze in EU contacts with Damascus in response to accusations of Syrian involvement in Hariri’s death. In July 2007, following Syria’s participation in the most recent Euro-Med conference, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he would the start the procedure to sign the agreement with Syria.