Key members of Congress across party lines took a much harsher tone and urged the United States to use the power of sanctions to prevent normalization with Assad.
The United States on Monday criticized the Arab League decision to readmit Syria, saying that President Bashar al-Assad does not deserve normalization after his country’s brutal civil war.
“We do not believe that Syria merits readmission to the Arab League at this time,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
“We continue to believe that we will not normalize our relations with the Assad regime and we don’t support our allies and partners doing so either,” he said.
Key members of Congress across party lines took a much harsher tone and urged the United States to use the power of sanctions to prevent normalization with Assad.
“Readmitting Assad to the Arab League is a grave strategic mistake that will embolden Assad, Russia and Iran to continue butchering civilians and destabilizing the Middle East,” said a joint statement by Mike McCaul, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the top Democrat on the panel, Gregory Meeks.
“Assad has not changed — he will continue these atrocities, while setting a global precedent that ruthless dictators can wait out accountability for their crimes.”
Congress has restricted the United States from any assistance for reconstruction without accountability for abuses during the war.
Despite repeated US statements, the Arab League voted Sunday to welcome back Syria, effectively concluding that Assad had won the war that has killed half a million people and displaced half the pre-war population since 2011.