State Dept Grilled About US-Syria Relationship Following Damascus Strikes

Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department Tammy Bruce commented Tuesday on the relationship between the U.S. and Syria following recent Israeli strikes on Damascus. 

“About Israel, has anything changed between the relationship between the United States and Israel, after the strike on Syria, and the killing of all those Palestinians, although the Israelis are defending themselves?” one reporter asked.

“I would say you should ask the White House,” Bruce said, adding that President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio believe U.S. allies are “not fair weather friends,” but “relationships.”

“So, it’s not about changing relationships, it’s about navigating what happens in the world, and working with people who can help us make peace,” Bruce continued.

Another reporter asked about lifting sanctions on Syria, particularly the 2019 Caesar Act that targets infrastructure, military maintenance and energy production in Syria. These sanctions were aimed at former president Bashar al-Assad and had stipulations that they would be lifted if Syria stops bombing civilians and commits to accountability for war criminals, among other requirements.

One reporter said, “There’s two competing bills right now, in Congress, one to completely lift the Caesar Act sanctions, another to kind of slow–walk it a little bit, make it provisional on the Syrian government meeting some parameters. Is there a particular preference that the Secretary has here, for implementing the lifting of the sanctions?”“I have nothing to preview for you, regarding a choice the Secretary might make,” Bruce answered.

She noted that other sanctions on Syria lifted by Trump “have been lifted because we want Syria and its government to have a chance to become stable, it has been very clear what the requirements are, we know we have to work for it to become stable because it’s in-stable. It’s unstable.”

Bruce called the current situation in Syria “a very intense dynamic,” and that “we are finding, whether or not these days show us, whether or not the current government is able to act in a way that helps us get that stability.”

Another reporter noted to Bruce, “you said that you are calling the Syrian government to lead the next step on holding all parties who are involved with the violence accountable,” and asked if she feels confident the Syrian Interim Government has the capacity and will to hold all participants in the sectarian conflict in Suweida accountable.

The Suweida region in southern Syria, mostly populated by a religious minority called the Druze, has recently erupted into sectarian violence, with Israel intervening to attack Syrian government forces in the area. One clash in May saw dozens of people killed in fighting between Syrian government forces, Druze militias, and allied Islamist fighters.

“Yes, we’re of course aware of those reports, and we’re aware some who might be affiliated, but not directed by the Syrian government, may be a part of that. Whether they have the will or the ability to do it, well we’re gonna find out, aren’t we? And they have something not everyone has, which is the power and encouragement of the American people and the American president. Ambassador Barrack is one of our best. So they have that, and of course our actions to help facilitate that, and this is where we find out what people are made of, and what they can actually accomplish,” Bruce said.

Bruce also confirmed a U.S. citizen was killed in the Suweida region.

Israel has expressed its concern for Druze in the region due to their ties to Druze communities living in Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel has also said its bombing campaign is an attempt to make the Syrian government immediately withdraw its forces from Suweida.

Bruce also communicated the U.S.’s condemnation of the violence in the region last week, particularly Israel’s strikes on Iran. 

Rubio said July 16 that he believed Israel’s strike on Damascus was “likely” due to “a misunderstanding.” Israel’s military struck the Syrian defence ministry in Damascus on July 16, as well as government forces in southern Syria for a third day. 

More than 350 people are reported to have been killed since July 13, when the battles between Druze militias and government-allied Bedouin tribes began in Suweida.

The Syrian foreign ministry said the government “welcomes the efforts made by the U.S. and Arabian sides” to “resolve the current crisis” peacefully. Israel has not yet commented on any ceasefire efforts.