In a letter to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, President Joe Biden rebuked the Syrian regime and extended the United States’ national emergency status on Syria.
The emergency status was initially declared in 2004 as an executive order in response to the actions of the government of Syria, which the U.S. accused of supporting terrorism and allowing militants to enter Iraq.
The emergency status allowed the U.S. government to impose economic sanctions on the Syrian government and restrict Syrian entry into the United States.
Biden’s letter, which was released publicly May 9, 2022, cited the actions of the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad as a main reason for extending the emergency status and powers.
“The Syrian regime’s actions and policies, including with respect to chemical weapons and supporting terrorist organizations, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” Biden wrote.
“For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 with respect to Syria.”
Biden went on to reiterate that the U.S. condemns “the brutal violence and human rights violations and abuses of the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian enablers.”
He concluded the letter by writing that the U.S. would consider lifting its national emergency status on Syria contingent on changes in policies and actions of the government of Syria.
