Press release
Syrian National Coalition – Syria
Department of Media and Communications
December 18, 2019
The US Senate’s adoption of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act came amidst a catastrophic, terrible scene in which the Syrian people have been subjected for several years to one of the most horrific killings, torture, and mass displacement in modern history.
The bill came against the backdrop of Russia’s continued obstruction of the UN Security Council’s through its repeated use of its veto power to shield the Assad regime thus giving it the green light to do whatever it wanted. This obstruction has opened the way for these horrendous crimes to take place, some of which were documented and exposed by Caesar.
Despite the long delay in the procedures related to the adoption of the bill, the move means a lot at this time, pending the signature of the US president to put the bill into effect.
It is imperative to emphasize that the main cause of what has happened to date and the deterioration of the situation in Syria is the Assad regime, its allies and supporters, and whoever continues to supply it with money, weapons, and militias as well as whoever provides a political cover for these crimes.
Although this bill could have come into force several years ago, there is a great hope that it will be used to reenergize and advance the political process in Syria.
The Syrian National Coalition expresses its hope that the act will be applied with the utmost seriousness by targeting the parties involved and responsible for the killings, mass displacement, and torture against the Syrian people. The Coalition also hope that the act will avoid causing any harm to Syrian civilians or cause them any long-term repercussions, especially as the Assad regime will seek to make the Syrian people bear the results of the bill and will use it to put a further burden on Syrian civilians.
The Syrian Coalition commends the efforts being made by several Syrian-American organizations to support the bill and ensure that it was put to vote in the US Senate. It also commends the efforts of the unknown soldiers who contributed to the preservation, transfer, and documentation of photos, chief among them was the military photographer code-named Caesar.
The bill will contribute to the drying up of the sources of funding for the war that the Assad regime is waging on the Syrian people. It will also place the countries and entities that abetted the murderous regime in front of the results of their actions. Moreover, it will also significantly contribute to imposing a real negotiating agenda on the regime and place it under greater pressure with regards to the issue of detainees, in addition to sending a strong message that a culture impunity in Syria will no longer be tolerated.
The Syrian Coalition reaffirms the need for the major actors in the international community to grasp the opportunity this law offers in order to put an end to the international community’s inaction towards the situation in Syria and to work to build up the momentum needed to implement international resolutions, most importantly UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
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