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U.S. Senate votes for Syria sanctions

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON NOV. 12. The U.S. Senate has voted for sanctions against Syria but the President, George W. Bush was given broad authority to waive these under national interest clauses. Law makers by a 89 to 4 margin voted for punitive measures, citing Syria's so called links to terror outfits, for its troops in Lebanon and in pursuing programmes in weapons of mass destruction.

Only two Republican Senators joined a Democrat and an Independent to vote against the move which was also initially opposed by the White House. But the Bush administration withdrew its objections when it saw the nature of anti-Syria sentiments on Capitol Hill.

The House of Representatives in the recent past overwhelmingly approved the sanctions measure and was far more restrictive than the Senate on the kind of waiver authority the President could use. For example, the House version has said that the President cannot waive the dual use technology ban.

The Senate version now goes to the House for reconciliation of language after which the bill will go to the President for his signature.

The Bush administration had been quite critical of the manner in which Damascus had been going about especially as it pertained to Iraq and on the developments along the Iraq-Syria border.

For its part, Syria had been consistently saying that it had been playing a very positive and cooperative role as far as Iraq was concerned. The legislation when signed into law by the President will prevent American firms from selling to Syria civilian and military technology; and the bill would require Mr. Bush to impose sanctions on two other areas relating to trade, limiting diplomatic contacts, placing curbs on Syrian airlines in operating in the U.S. The legislation does not include a ban on food and medicine. Statistics show that Syria imports about $ 275 millions from the U.S. and exports goods worth $150 millions.

"This bill will make clear to Syria what we expect of it. If it is not willing to end its support for terrorism or uphold its agreements, it should not be accepted as a full partner in the international community", the Senate Minority leader, Tom Daschle, has said.

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