Syrian American Council Offers Appreciation to Syria Caucus for Letter to Trump

The Friends of a Free, Stable and Democratic Syria Caucus urges Trump to take action on Idlib amidst escalating attacks

WASHINGTON D.C., May 22, 2019–The Syrian American Council express its gratitude to Rep. Brendan F. Boyle (D-PA), Rep. Adam D. Kinzinger (R-IL), and the 31 other members of the Friends of a Free, Stable and Democratic Syria Caucus who called last week for the Trump administration to take action to halt the bloodshed in northwest Syria. The Syrian American Council echoes their call for the administration to help reinstate the ceasefire in northwest Syria, and stresses the urgency of this effort.

Hundreds Dead and Thousands Displaced in Idlib as Peace Talks Fail

Syrian American organizations turn to the international community to stop the slaughter as attacks intensify

WASHINGTON D.C., May 6, 2019 – Syrian American organizations implore the United States government and the international community to stop the slaughter of civilians in Idlib by the Russian and Assad regime forces. Since Wednesday, there has been a surge in air strikes, barrel bomb attacks, and bombings of civilian neighborhoods, including hospitals and schools in Idlib and Hama provinces, resulting in hundreds of civilians killed and tens of thousands displaced.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syrian American Council Denounces UN Move to Damascus

Consolidation of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs would give Assad regime control of aid distribution

WASHINGTON D.C., May 3, 2019 – The Syrian American Council condemns the impending move of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to Damascus. Though no official announcement has been made, available information indicates that the Jordan OCHA headquarters will be consolidated with Damascus, with procedures starting to make the move official.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syrian American Council Applauds IRGC Terror Designation,
Calls for Equivalent Terror Designations on Assad Regime

WASHINGTON D.C., April 10, 2019–The Syrian American Council applauds President Trump's announcement Monday designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and calls on the administration to similarly consider terror designations for the Assad regime.

WASHINGTON D.C., March 13, 2019–Last night, the Assad regime rained internationally banned white phosphorous weapons on the town of Tamane'a in Idlib, even as Russian warplanes were conducting air raids on other populated areas. This escalation comes after a string of Assad regime and Russian attacks on medical facilities, including an Assad regime artillery attack that killed a White Helmets rescue worker in Morek; regime artillery on a blood bank, hospital, and Civil Defense center in Saraqib; and a Russian “double tap” airstrike outside Jisr al-Shughur that deliberately targeted rescue workers and left one of them dead.

WASHINGTON D.C., February 22, 2019–TheSyrian American Councilcalls upon the United States government and the international community to act quickly in response to continued regime war crimes in Idlib Province. Although a ceasefire for Idlib with a demilitarized buffer zone was agreed upon by Russia and Turkey five months ago, the Assad regime is increasing its attacks on Idlib, killing more than 30 civilians and leaving nearly 80 wounded in the past two weeks of shelling.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syrian American Council Salutes Court Ruling on Murdered Journalist

Ruling in favor of Marie Colvin’s family may inspire additional U.S. cases against the Assad regime

WASHINGTON D.C., February 1, 2019 – The Syrian American Council applauds Thursday’s decision by the Washington, D.C. District Court to enter a judgement against the Syrian government for the extrajudicial killing of American journalist Marie Colvin. This decision, filed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act targeting state sponsors of terrorism, will require the regime to pay over $300 million in damages. It marks the first instance in which a U.S. domestic court has held the Assad regime responsible for its war crimes.

“The ruling is a victory for those demanding accountability, not simply for the Assad regime’s crimes against humanity, but in so many cases, crimes against family members and loved ones,” said Suzanne Meriden, executive director of the Syrian American Council. “We hope that this judgement will inspire additional victims of Assad's crimes to speak out.”

Colvin was deliberately assassinated by regime troops in February 2012 while covering the Assad regime's brutal siege on the Baba Amr neighborhood of Homs – a dark turning point in which the regime used artillery on populated areas for the first time.

The Syrian American Council salutes the Colvin family for pressing through a personal tragedy to seek justice and is grateful for the efforts of their legal team to bring the case to completion. We invite all Syrian-Americans directly victimized by the regime to reach out so that we can help them forward their cases to the appropriate parties.

Media Contact:

Michelle R. Taylor

[email protected]

312-919-2124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Caesar Bill Passes House Unanimously

The Syrian American Council celebrates passage of Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in the House of Representatives and advocates its passing in the Senate

WASHINGTON D.C., January 23, 2019 – The Syrian American Council applauds the passage of the H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, on Tuesday by the House of Representatives, and supports the calls made by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and ranking member Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) for the Senate to now pass the bill.

The legislation, which would hold Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accountable for his war crimes while limiting his ability to access funds from allies Russia and Iran, has been in the works for nearly three years with deep bipartisan support. Having passed this latest hurdle, the bill is expected to be considered by the Senate after the end of the partial U.S. government shutdown.

“After three years of advocating for this legislation, we are cautiously optimistic to see the Caesar bill taken up as one of the first measures by the new Congress,” said Suzanne Meriden, executive director of the Syrian American Council. “We are especially grateful to Congressmen Engel and McCaul for their leadership in passing this unique and important bipartisan legislation. The Syrian American Council and greater Syrian-American community will continue to work to ensure Caesar passes the Senate as well.”

The passage of H.R. 31 comes on the heels of the European Union imposing sanctions on 11 individuals and five companies for providing financial and other military assistance to the Assad regime.

“We are seeing a theme this week of sanctions imposed on the Assad regime and its allies and supporters, demonstrating that the international community is still largely unwilling to accept Assad as part of any legitimate solution in Syria,” added Meriden.

Media Contact:

Michelle R. Taylor

[email protected]

312-919-2124

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syrian American Council Urges Trump to Reconsider Withdrawal from Syria

WASHINGTON D.C., December 19, 2018 – The Syrian American Council urges President Trump to reconsider his decision to rapidly withdraw troops from Syria. A withdrawal of this type and at this time would constitute a victory for Iran, ISIS, and the Assad regime and its Russian ally.

Experts have iterated repeatedly that a vacuum in northern Syria leaves room for terrorist, extremist, and authoritarian influence, and that ISIS has not been defeated. ISIS’s influence extends beyond territorial control and includes a wide network of sleeper cells that have shown signs of expansion in recent months. A rapid withdrawal may also push the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main U.S. partner in Syria, to ally with the Assad regime and Iran, contributing to greater Iranian influence and detrimental effects in the region.

President Trump has previously denounced his predecessor for an overly hands-off approach to the Syrian war and for his precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, both of which helped contribute to the rise of ISIS and supercharged Iranian regional influence. We urge the President not to repeat the same mistake.

Media Contact:

Michelle R. Taylor

[email protected]

312-919-2124

Statement on Saturday’s Chemical Attacks in Douma

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON D.C., April 9, 2018 – On Saturday, the regime of Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad attacked the people of Douma in Eastern Ghouta with chemical weapons, described by direct observers as "the worst chemical attack yet."

Several reports from people inside Douma claimed that the chemicals were a mix of chlorine and sarin. Saturday's atrocities come just one year after the sarin chemical attack in Khan Sheikoun, which prompted swift and decisive action by President Trump to strike the airport believed to be the base for the plane that carried out the attack.

Horrifying pictures and videos from Saturday are now surfacing, showing mostly children and women who were hiding in shelters, gasping for air, foaming at the mouth, and dying slowly and painfully. The statistics on casualties continue to rapidly climb, while terror engulfs innocent civilians in the Douma area, and across all of Syria, as they brace for more attacks from the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian allies. Saturday's use of chemical weapons is the latest tactic by the Assad regime to bring the people of Douma to their knees after years of siege, starvation, and bombardment, This follows a policy of forced displacement and demographic change that the regime has employed in multiple areas since the beginning of the war, including in Homs and Aleppo. Despite condemnations by the international community, no assertive action has been taken to stop these atrocities once and for all.

The Syrian American Council urges President Trump to follow through on his tweets Sunday morning, and to take immediate action against this tyrannical regime. We call on the president to work with Congress and the international community to enforce the Chemical Weapons Convention and to immediately stop the slaughter of civilians in Syria by grounding Assad's air force.

Media Contacts:

Bassam Rifai

[email protected]

973-954-0982

Michelle R. Taylor

[email protected]

312-919-2124