Lawmakers and expert witnesses pushed back at a Helsinki Commission hearing on Tuesday on efforts to reimpose sanctions on the Syrian government for its assault against the Kurds and other minorities, and pushed for the U.S. to facilitate a diplomatic arrangement between Israel and Turkey that would allow for a greater Turkish presence in Syria — in part as a counterweight to Russia.
Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced legislation last week to reimpose sanctions on the Syrian government, in response to Damascus’ attacks on the Kurds, which for years had been backed by the U.S. as the minority group fought the Islamic State.
Meanwhile, Israel has remained deeply skeptical of the new Syrian government and is resistant to an expanded Turkish presence in Syria, given Ankara’s open hostility toward Israel in recent years, which has included threats to invade, and ambitions for regional dominance.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and leading advocate for sanctions repeal in the Senate, criticized colleagues who were pushing to re-impose sanctions, arguing that the repeal of the sanctions has been “successful,” suggesting that their reimposition would push Syria into Russia’s hands.
“The empirical record shows that countries that we’ve sanctioned and tried to coerce, if they are strong enough, will bandwagon, will hedge against us, try to find other patrons,” Richard Outzen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said. “That’s how Russia has a back door here.”
The hearing was focused primarily on finding ways to counter the Russian presence in Syria.
Outzen asserted that sanctions would not lead to the results their advocates seek, but rather renewed violence and fragmentation.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), a champion in the House for sanctions repeal, said he hopes to see any remaining sanctions, including Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, repealed as well.
Witnesses at the hearing noted that Russia is taking steps to entrench its presence and expand its relationship with the Syrian government, and that Syria remains heavily reliant on Russia. They largely called for increased engagement and incentives for the new Syrian government to counter Russia rather than coercive measures.
“The way to not abandon the Kurds is to not abandon Damascus. The best way to do that is to remain engaged and provide pathways to regional roles for Turkey and others, and not to give in to voices that say, we can’t trust [Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa],” Outzen said.
Asked about whether al-Sharaa can be trusted to protect minorities in Syria, Outzen argued that the bigger issue is whether he has the ability to control his own forces, given that many in al-Sharaa’s ranks are jihadists.
“The greatest way to protect [minorities] is to institutionalize and reform the Syrian military. That comes with a stabilized state, and frankly, probably comes with the U.S. providing oversight, whether that’s U.S. forces or contract mechanisms to insist on reforms so that the sort of people that have been responsible for atrocities fighting on that side are weeded out quickly, and, if they’re not Syrians, are sent out of the country,” Outzen said.
Michael Doran, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, likewise said that al-Sharaa’s “biggest problem … more than whatever he has in his heart — he has a cadre of people around him who are quite happy to go out and slaughter minorities. And they need to be kept on a short leash, and they need to be trained up,” he continued.
Doran described Turkey as the “key partner” in helping to build and professionalize the Syrian military.
Wilson expressed support for an expanded Turkish military presence in Syria as a path to removing Russian bases from Syria. He said he wants to see a deal between Turkey and Israel to facilitate that goal.
“Sadly, some in Israel prefer a weak and divided Syria and view an extended Russian presence as a buffer against Turkey. I believe this is suicidal for Israel,” Wilson said. “This will only be possible if Israel and Turkey deescalate and reach a detente in Syria.”
Wilson said that it was “startling to me” that Israel saw a Russian presence in Syria as a counterweight to Turkey.
“Our ability to expel the Russians from Syria, in the end, is going to be dependent on our ability to strike a balance between the Turks and the Israelis, and this is going to take a very sustained commitment on our part,” Doran agreed.
“I think the American leadership in pulling the Turks and the Israelis together and encouraging them, almost forcing them to talk to each other, is, I think, the starting point for solving this problem,” Doran said.
“I think the greatest fear of Israelis, more than the ideological onslaught of the Islamists against Israel and the Syrian minorities, is that Syria will become a Turkish military base — the front lines in an effort to annihilate Israel,” he continued. “I think we have a major role to play here, in getting the two sides to come to an accommodation.”
He said he wants to see Syria become a “buffer state” between Turkey and Israel, comparing it to Jordan as a buffer between Israel and Iraq.
Outzen said that outreach will be needed to the Israeli government to push back on their approach, bring together Israeli and Turkish security officials and emphasize Turkey’s role as a NATO ally and a close partner of the Trump administration — in spite of Israel’s own deep concerns about Turkey’s regional ambitions.