Trump says US to lift Syria sanctions, ending years of Washington’s policy
Al Jazeera
US president declares sanctions have ‘served their purpose’ and this gives Syria ‘a chance at greatness’.
United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will lift all sanctions on Syria, declaring that it was time for the country to “move forward”, giving a nation devastated by years of ruinous civil war a crucial opening in reviving its shattered economy.
Speaking at an investment forum in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh during his Middle East tour on Tuesday, Trump said the punitive measures had achieved their “purpose” and were no longer needed.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” he said. “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off”.
The president ended his remarks with a direct message to Damascus: “Good luck, Syria. Show us something very special.”
The announcement marks a dramatic shift in Washington’s yearslong policy towards Syria, where sanctions targeted ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s government during years of war, and the country at large over its crackdown on dissent and human rights abuses during that nearly 14-year period.
Al Jazeera looks at how years of punitive measures cost billions, filled prisons and did little to curb violence.
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