Thomas Barrack Urges U.S. Congress to Repeal the “Caesar Act”
ARK News.. U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack has called on the U.S. Congress to repeal the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, asserting that while the law once served its purpose, it now obstructs efforts toward reconstruction and stability in the country.
In an article posted on his official X account on Monday, October 20, 2025, Barrack wrote that war-torn Syria represents “the missing piece in building the new architecture of peace in the Middle East,” stressing that no comprehensive peace can be achieved while “one of the world’s oldest civilizations remains in ruins.”
Barrack praised the U.S. Senate for showing “political foresight” by voting to repeal the act, and urged the House of Representatives to take the same step “to restore the Syrian people’s right to work, trade, and hope.”
He noted that the sanctions imposed in 2019 were once a moral tool to isolate the former regime and cut off its funding sources, but now they “are suffocating a nation trying to rise again.”
The envoy emphasized that post-December 2024 Syria is “no longer what it once was,” having restored diplomatic ties with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Europe, and even begun border talks with Israel.
Barrack recalled President Donald Trump’s announcement in Riyadh on May 13, 2025, expressing his intent to lift sanctions on Syria — a policy that officially took effect on June 30, following an executive order to suspend most sanctions as of July 1.
He added that lifting sanctions is “not charity but strategy,” aimed at enabling allies and investors to rebuild Syria’s essential infrastructure — from electricity and water to schools and hospitals — noting that “economic revival is the strongest antidote to extremism, and trade is the bridge from conflict to coexistence.”
Barrack described the repeal as an act of political realism aligned with current regional transformations, citing a recent appeal by 26 Syrian Christian clerics urging Congress to end sanctions that have contributed to the decline of Christian presence in the country.
He concluded his statement by saying that the Caesar Act had fulfilled its mission, and that it was now time “to give Syria a new chance.” Barrack commended President Trump and the Senate for their political courage, urging the House of Representatives to “complete this leadership effort for the future of the entire region.”
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