CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph L. Votel writes for the Middle East Institute that as Syria attempts to develop and reunify in the wake of the collapse of the Assad regime, it is necessary for the United States to lift the Caesar Act sanctions imposed on Syria in 2019. These sanctions are currently preventing the new Syrian government from accessing the international banking system and much needed foreign investment. If Congress chooses to delay, General Votel continues, then existing tensions could be exacerbated in Syria which may lead to further Iranian meddling in the country.  

General Joseph L. Votel, U.S. Army (Ret.), is the former Commander of the U.S. Central Command. He is a Distinguished Military Fellow at the Middle East Institute and a member of the CERL Executive Board. Read his bio here. 

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.