WASHINGTON 

US Sen. Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday proposed a gradual lifting of the Caesar Act sanctions as the Trump administration develops a new Syrian policy.

“I know the National Security Council at the White House is working on a Syrian policy. I'm happy they're doing that, and we're giving them our input,” Risch said at a hearing on Syria. “However, what I would propose they seriously consider, is what we’re going to say here today. I’m not talking about US taxpayer dollars, what I am talking about is a gradual lifting of the Caesar sanctions that we've put in place. Let them come into place. Let's see how we're doing. Let's see how the new interim government acts, and if that happens, we will continue in a stream of lifting those sanctions.”

Risch emphasized the importance of quickly addressing the matter, urging the National Security Council to take it up "as soon as possible."

He suggested the US could build an alliance with Syria’s interim government if it demonstrates a commitment to governance that respects "human rights and religious diversity." But he cautioned that Washington must remain prepared to disengage if the new leadership follows an "authoritarian" path.

Risch stressed that the interim government must ensure Syria does not become a "launching pad for terror attacks," against the US and its partners, and must ensure the elimination of the Assad regime’s chemical weapon stockpiles.

He urged the removal of Russia and Iran from Syria, the destruction of Assad’s drug trade and accountability for detained Americans, including Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared in Syria in 2012.

“The new Syrian regime wants to have a friend in the United States, which the new interim government says that they do. We need to see action on the items I have laid out,” he said, “If they do that, we'll find a willing partner in the United States.”

 'We punish all Syrians for the sins of Assad'

Ranking member Jeanne Shaheen also urged targeted sanctions relief and immediate humanitarian assistance, including supporting the security of ISIS/Daesh detention facilities in northeast Syria.

“These sanctions were put in place on the Assad regime. That regime is gone,” Shaheen said. “If we don't reevaluate those sanctions, we punish all Syrians for the sins of Assad.”

“Sanctions relief will also help bring in investments from regional partners and the international community Syria needs to rebuild,” she added.

On Jan. 6, the Biden administration's Treasury Department issued Syria General License 24, temporarily easing restrictions on humanitarian aid for six months.

The measure allows humanitarian aid and basic services, such as electricity, water, and sanitation to Syria but does not extend to broader sanctions relief.