US State Department says lifting Syria sanctions will ‘take some time’

WASHINGTON

The US State Department said Thursday that the implementation of President Donald Trump’s directive to lift US sanctions on Syria will take time, citing the complexity of the interagency process.

Speaking to reporters during a news briefing, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that while the decision had been made at the presidential level, the mechanics of lifting sanctions involve multiple government agencies.

“It’s worth noting that the president has some powers in the nature of what can get done, but sanctions are administered through different departments in this country,” Bruce said. “His was a message, and certainly the order to reverse our dynamic, to remove the sanctions, which involves departments like the Treasury Department. So, it is a process that will take some time.”

Bruce added that the Trump administration understands “the importance of getting things done quickly” and is working on it. “It will be done quickly, and certainly more quickly than we're used to.”

Last week, Trump announced at an investment forum in Saudi Arabia that he would lift the “brutal and crippling” sanctions on Syria at the request of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A day later, Trump held a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia -- the first between US and Syrian leaders in 25 years.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington supports efforts to help the new Syrian government succeed, warning that failure could lead to war and regional instability.

“We want to help that government succeed because the alternative is full-scale civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilize the entire region,” Rubio told a Senate committee.