Thread by @THE_47th

After years of advocacy and immense efforts by the amazing Syrian American community: The Caesar bill is about to become a US law. This is a big turning point in #Syria's history, and a major step towards achieving justice and accountability in #Syria.

I'll explain why.

When the Caesar Bill becomes law, it will make the current sanctions on the Assad regime seem like child's play.

congress.gov/bill/116th-con…

Basically: anyone that provides financial, material or tech support to the Assad regime will be sanctioned by the US gov. This is not limited to aerospace, chem weapons nor oil...this is a blanket warning against dealing with Assad, his gov, intermediaries & regime contractors

This is a massive warning to countries, businesses & orgs that had hopes of doing business with Assad. It is now a United States of America law that anyone who does business with Assad or any of his official and unofficial partners is at risk of debilitating American sanctions

e.g.: Huawei was thinking of finally servicing Syria's cellular duopoly and pocket the money along with Assad and his family? it won't.

Siemens, Ericsson and others are already out of the question.

Oil & gas procurers, insurers, contractors in all fields, lenders, service providers, merchants, basically any business that aspires to not be on the US Treasury's radar will refrain from doing business with Assad.

All of the above is only on an Economic level.

On a political level:

Treating the Assad regime as a criminal/pariah entity is no longer at the whim of world leadrs. The Caesar Act will be the law of the USA, frnds & foes take note & understand this b4 rethinking ties w Assad.

In other words: we have bad news for regional players counting on a new moods in Washington DC and Assad supporters waiting on future U.S admins that more receptive of Assad. It ain't happening.

This US government, and future United States Govs will shun, isolate & sanction Assad and any person, entity doing business with his regime and contractors until certain demands are met (free all political prisoners, handover war criminals, allow return of refugees...etc)

Moreover, this new law WILL require the President of the USA, the State Department, Treasury and other agencies to provide periodic written reports that track and follow up on protecting civilians, documenting & going after war criminals, safety of refugees...etc

There is much much political, economic, legal and social implications to this huge development..and I can't fit them all into one thread. But before I end the thread, a very important point I want to share with my people, the poor, unlucky, fellow miserable ppl of #Syria:

I feel for you. I feel for any Syrians that suffers: from children who get shredded into pieces by barrelbombs that hvnt stopped for 9yrs, to Syrians who will suddenly find out that their 1000 pound all of a sudden is worth $0.50 cents.

Understand that his could all stop now.

Understand that..

The sanctions can be reversed with a flick of a button.

That children in Edlib will stop being shredded in2 pieces with a single action.

That this whole nightmare will stop with 1 action: If the criminal who inherited Syria & its 23mln ppl from his dad stops

Another important point to understand: This law was not cooked by the CIA, it wasn't a part of an imperialist American plot, nor by Zionists, Saudi...etc

This law is the work of your fellow Syrian Americans who enjoy the freedom to participate in the American political System.

These Syrian Americans who couldn't sit and watch Assad get away with murdering a million people, displacing 9mln others, and burning Syria down just for the sake of keeping the dictatorship he inherited from his dad.

The conference agreed on the NDAA Bill (the Caeser Bill is attached to it).

The vote is tomorrow. It seems like we have an agreement.

nytimes.com/reuters/2019/1…