Hearing on "U.S. Policy Toward Syria (Part II)"

U.S. State Department Ambassador James Jeffrey and USAIDS's Robert Jenkins testified before Congress on Syria on November 29, 2018. The hearing was the second of a two part series on U.S. policy toward Syria.

According to Ambassador Jeffrey’s testimony, the war in Syria has been ongoing for seven years. 11 million people, of a population of 20 million people, have fled Syria. An additional half million have been killed.

Russia supports the Assad regime and enables its reign of violence. The Assad regime only controls half of the country’s population. The military forces of five nations -- the U.S. Turkey, Israel, Iran, and Russia -- operate in close proximity.

Iran also supports the Assad regime and has capitalized on the tumultuous environment in Syria to expand its influence. From that platform it is able to project power and threaten its neighbors including Israel and others. Iran’s rejection of international laws and norms makes it dangerous, and deserving of constraint.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the 79 members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS are working to clear the last ISIS cells in Syria. It is important to ensure that ISIS and al-Qa’ida are not able to return.

The U.S. has three strategic objectives in Syria: defeating ISIS, countering Iran in Syria, and aligning Syria with the United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 2254 adopted unanimously in 2015.

The goal to create minimum standards for international normalization would entail that Syria: surrender its chemical weapons, cease posing a threat to its neighbors including Israel, sever ties with the Iranian regime and its military proxies, end support for terrorism, hold war crime perpetrators accountable, and create safe conditions for refugees to return.

The U.S. does not support reconstruction assistance for Syria until there is a credible political process under UNSCR 2254 supporting a new constitution, UN supervised elections, and a political environment that reflects the choices of the Syrian people.

Latest “Astana group” mtg on #Syria did not yield agreed list of members for Constitutional Committee & no progress toward advancing political process. Russia & Iran cont. to use Astana to mask Assad regime’s refusal to engage. US remains committed to UNSCR 2254 & peace in Syria. pic.twitter.com/em7viDyyaJ

— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) November 29, 2018

Smuggled Documents for Syrian War Crime Victims

Syria’s civil war started in 2011. Based on photos and other evidence smuggled out of the country, prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for several high-ranking Syrian officials for war crimes. The evidence shows signs of detainee torture and murder.

Several groups are collecting the evidence including the Commission for International Justice and Accountability (CIJA) and the UN. Those accused could be held for trial in places like Germany where there is universal jurisdiction to prosecute war crimes.

Russia and China support the Assad regime and are fighting to keep the UN Security Council from referring it to the International Criminal Court. With Assad on the verge of winning the war, it is likely that those who have allegedly committed these crimes will not face justice unless they travel to a country who could prosecute them.

Article resources:
The Economist "Will smuggled files lead to justice for the Assad regime's victims?"
Lawfare "Justice for Syria: Civil Society, The UN Mechanism and National Proceedings"
Wikipedia "Casualties of the Syrian Civil War"