Revisiting the Syria Accountability Act
Current Topic in Brief
In September 2004, Congress passed the Syrian Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act to end what was seen as Syria’s support for terrorism, its presence in Lebanon, and its alleged assistance to foreign fighters battling U.S. troops in Iraq and development of weapons of mass destruction. The law gave the U.S. president an array of sanctions to choose from, including reducing diplomatic contacts, barring U.S. exports and investments in Syria with some exceptions, freezing Syrian Government assets in the United States, banning Syrian aircraft from U.S. airspace, and prohibiting Syrian diplomats from traveling more than 25 miles outside the United…
