Syrian foreign minister makes historic visit to Washington 

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani made a historic visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday, the first Syrian government representative to hold official meetings with the United States in 25 years.

The Trump administration and supporters in Congress are engaging with the new authorities in Damascus following the ousting of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December. 

It is al-Shaibani's second visit to Washington in his new role, but his first time holding official meetings with U.S. government officials in the nation's capital. He was in town earlier this year for meetings at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. 

Al-Shaibani met with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle as Congress debates whether to repeal comprehensive sanctions on Syria, called the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. 

President Trump’s special envoy for Syria and ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who accompanied al-Shaibani, told The Hill he was “hopeful” that lawmakers would pass a full repeal of the Caesar Act. 

Advocates for repeal say the sanctions regime is out of date, as it was passed by Congress to address Assad’s crimes against civilians, from torture to extrajudicial killings, disappearances, chemical weapons use, among other atrocities. 

But opponents of fully repealing Caesar say interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s past ties to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS, along with recent episodes of horrific ethnic violence in the country, warrant a more cautious approach. 

Trump met al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May and called in a speech for all sanctions to be lifted on the country. The president has issued a six-month waiver on Caesar sanctions. Advocates for a permanent repeal say temporary measures deter long-term investment and reconstruction in the country. 

Barrack said Congress’s concerns deserve to be addressed, and “we’re trying to respond to them.” 

“But it’s essential to do what President Trump said and give them a chance, and take the sanctions off,” he continued.

“It's complicated with the Caesar Act, but it starts the flow of business coming. There’s lots of eyes, lots of accountability. Syria’s doing a very good job in doing the things we’ve asked on accountability and I’m hopeful.”

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) left the meeting with al-Shaibani saying it was “constructive and interesting.”

A priority issue for lawmakers is progress on a security agreement between Syria and Israel. Before arriving in Washington, al-Shaibani reportedly met with Israel's strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, who presented a deal for an agreement between the two countries, according to Axios. 

Israel’s demands reportedly include an expanded buffer zone between Israel and Syria, a restriction on arms positioned in territories near the border, a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft in the entire area from southwest of Damascus to the Israeli border, among other provisions. 

Barrack, when asked by The Hill about the remaining obstacles to an Israel-Security peace agreement, responded, “prayer.”