US urges modification of Syria sanctions

Shafaq News – New York

On Monday, Dorothy Shea, the acting US deputy representative to the United Nations, urged the UN Security Council to review the sanctions imposed on Syria.

Addressing a Council session on the Syrian issue, Shea stated that “the Syrian government has explicitly pledged to combat al-Qaeda and ISIS—two groups that oppose the new government and threaten to destroy it. Council members must not underestimate these threats.”

She stressed that the Council “can and must revise its sanctions” to allow the Syrian government to prevail in its war on terrorism, while maintaining sanctions on the most dangerous actors who have not altered their conduct.

Earlier, the US State Department’s Spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the easing of select sanctions on Syria, explaining the move as an opportunity for Damascus to pursue stability “under conditions that have been clear from the beginning.”