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Everything you need to know about the sanctions on Syria: who do they target, how do they work, what is the impact on civilians? Big backgrounder for @NewHumanitarian: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/04/25/briefing-just-how-smart-are-sanctions-syria?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
Some say sanctions on Syria strangle trade and aid work, hurting ordinary people. Others say US and EU lawmakers have created broad humanitarian exemptions to make sure civilians aren't harmed. Turns out both are right.
Here's the whole mess, explained: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/04/25/briefing-just-how-smart-are-sanctions-syria?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
Here's the whole mess, explained: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/04/25/briefing-just-how-smart-are-sanctions-syria?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
New US sanctions aim to deprive regime-held Syria of fuel, and it's working. By me on the heating oil shortage: http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/03/05/blame-game-over-syria-s-winter-fuel-crisis Also, on how life in Damascus grinds to a halt without gasoline by @seldeeb: https://apnews.com/146f6ea0d62e48aa8f3323e803cb5595 and @SyriaDirect: https://syriadirect.org/news/%e2%80%98from-one-crisis-to-another%e2%80%99-gas-queues-and-frustration-as-damascus-residents-grapple-with-fuel-shortages
Grim reports on the very mid-war feel of post-war Syria:
• Two years after fighting ended, corpses still lie under East Aleppo's rubble. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-aleppo-insight/in-east-aleppo-bodies-still-under-rubble-show-limits-of-syrias-recovery-idUSKCN1S115Y @angusmcdowall
• The Damascus suburbs are in ruins, gas shortages kill the economy. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-26/waiting-19-hours-for-gas-in-a-lifeless-city @DonnaAN1
• Two years after fighting ended, corpses still lie under East Aleppo's rubble. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-aleppo-insight/in-east-aleppo-bodies-still-under-rubble-show-limits-of-syrias-recovery-idUSKCN1S115Y @angusmcdowall
• The Damascus suburbs are in ruins, gas shortages kill the economy. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-04-26/waiting-19-hours-for-gas-in-a-lifeless-city @DonnaAN1
Citing Oil Ministry, al-Watan says SAA-held areas produce only 24% of Syria's daily oil needs, rest must come from SDF or abroad. End of Iran credit in Oct followed by US sanctions on Iran & shipping in Nov led to total halt in tanker trade since Oct 2018. http://alwatan.sy/archives/195266
Amid Syria's worst-ever fuel crisis, the state ended its decades-old oil import monopoly in February ( http://thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/03/05/blame-game-over-syria-s-winter-fuel-crisis). Now, a Lebanese front company linked to the Qaterjis emerges as a private quasi-monopoly. Economic power grab? @TheSyriaReport: http://syria-report.com/news/oil-gas-mining/influential-investors-gain-prominent-role-syria%E2%80%99s-oil-trade-business
Iran has resumed oil deliveries to Syria after a half-year long cut that caused damaging shortages in Syria, linked to U.S. sanctions but also to Iran refusing to extend new credit.
• http://reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1SG1FK @angusmcdowall
• http://cnbc.com/amp/2019/05/09/iran-appears-to-be-restarting-oil-exports-to-syria-as-trump-ups-pressure.html @lghara93 @tdichristopher
• http://reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1SG1FK @angusmcdowall
• http://cnbc.com/amp/2019/05/09/iran-appears-to-be-restarting-oil-exports-to-syria-as-trump-ups-pressure.html @lghara93 @tdichristopher
Two more @newhumanitarian texts on the Syria sanctions, as complicated as they are important.
• Oil sanctions & their effects: http://thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/03/05/blame-game-over-syria-s-winter-fuel-crisis
• Why exemptions for food, medicine, and aid aren't working as planned and how experts want to fix it: http://thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/04/25/briefing-just-how-smart-are-sanctions-syria
• Oil sanctions & their effects: http://thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/03/05/blame-game-over-syria-s-winter-fuel-crisis
• Why exemptions for food, medicine, and aid aren't working as planned and how experts want to fix it: http://thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2019/04/25/briefing-just-how-smart-are-sanctions-syria
Syria's economy remains connected across all political divides: gasoline shortages caused by new U.S. sanctions now roll into the northeast, sparking protests against SDF authorities in Qamishli and Hassakeh. http://www.artafm.com/opinion/16544 https://www.npasyria.com/en/blog.php?id_blog=156&sub_blog=4%20&name_blog=Fuel%20crisis%20due%20to%20an%20administrative%20defect%20in%20Self-Administration%20institutions%20in%20Al-Hasaka
Well, other causes too: Tishreen quotes Oil Ministry as saying more Iranian credit would be hugely helpful, but don't get your hopes up; state's current import deals are good for two years but will remain vulnerable to delays & disruption by sanctions etc. http://tishreen.news.sy/?p=333894
Syrian top-tier tycoon Samer Foz slapped with U.S. sanctions. https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm704
EU needs to stop sanctioning Syria based on the idea it can get Assad out, because it's just making things worse, writes @Nour_Samaha, who proposes conditional re-engagement, sanctions relief, and a focus on e.g. prisoner releases. https://www.ecfr.eu/publications/summary/can_assad_win_the_peace_syria https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-syria-quagmire-what-next-bashar-assad-war
As the US and EU sanction Syria's oil trade, mystery explosions knock out its pipelines, and the UK seizes oil tankers, @TheEconomist sums up the gravity of the Syrian fuel crisis in a sentence: “A full tank would cost a civil servant half a month’s pay.” https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2019/07/11/oil-shortages-in-syria-are-starting-to-hurt
Before going to war with Iran, why not take a moment to trace this escalation spiral backwards: Iran seizes UK tankers in the Persian Gulf, after UK seized an Iranian tanker at Gibraltar, citing EU sanctions. What are the sanctions about? Actually, Syria: https://twitter.com/aronlund/status/1130919826854174720
This TCF World podcast with @ArianeTabatabai, @DEsfandiary, @tcambanis, and @mwhanna1 is the best thing I have heard (or read) on the current moment in US-Iran relations. Smart, forward-looking, realistic, and accessible. Don't miss! https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/tcf-world-podcast/id1295785057?l=en&i=1000444809003
