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Baird introduces effort to hold war criminal Assad accountable
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Fourth District Congressman Jim Baird (R-Greencastle) joined House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia Chairman Joe Wilson (R-TX) to lead the introduction of legislation to block the Biden administration from extending or reissuing Syria General License 23, which authorized direct transactions with the Assad regime for 180 days after the February Turkey–Syria earthquake.
“For far too long, the Biden administration’s soft-on-crime foreign policies have had wide-reaching and devastating international effects that have weakened the United States’ standing on the global stage,” Congressman Baird said.
“By extending General License 23, the administration is effectively refusing to hold Bashar Al Assad accountable for his unspeakable war crimes and sends a dangerous message to the world that the United States condones this humanitarian crisis,” Baird added. “As the world’s leader, we have a responsibility to send a resounding message to all that this despicable conduct will not be tolerated, which is why I am introducing a bill to block this extension.”
“Bashar Al Assad is a war criminal who has faced no accountability for his crimes against the Syrian people. Yet he is increasingly being welcomed back into the international community, particularly by governments in the Middle East,” Chairman McCaul said. “Extending General License 23 would undermine our Syria sanctions and send a message that the United States accepts normalization with Assad. That’s why we’re introducing this bill to block the extension of this over-broad license, especially since our Syria sanctions already contain humanitarian exemptions.”
“The criminal Assad regime has directly benefitted from General License 23 while refusing aid to areas hit hardest by the earthquake,” Chairman Wilson said. “In fact, mass murderer Assad and war criminal Putin have relentlessly bombed northwest Syria since the earthquake. Humanitarian exemptions are built into U.S. sanctions, and the Biden administration should not renew this broad license which allows the Assad regime to profit as he continues his assault on the Syrian people.”