NEWS: Bush Imposes Harsh Sanctions on Syria

Today the Bush Administration has imposed harsh sanctions on the Terror supporting nation of Syria. A move many in Washington have been calling for since it has been exposed that Syrians are helping the insurgents in Iraq.

MSNBC.com

President Bush banned all U.S. exports to Syria on Tuesday except for food and medicine, according to congressional offices briefed by the administration.

This could turn bad relations between the USA and Syria into even worse.

The Middle East seems to be headed for an all out war as so many are suspecting.


[Edited on 11-5-2004 by Banshee]

[Edited on 12-5-2004 by John bull 1]

Originally posted by UM_Gazz
This could turn bad relations between the USA and Syria into even worse.

how worse can it get when they support terrorist groups already...

"how worse can it get when they support terrorist groups already..."

Ask the average Iraqi, I think that they're opinion would be that it could get worse.

It all started right here: The Syria Accountability Act.
Check and see who 'they' were who voted on passing this act.

Again, Bush is just a representative 'mouth-piece'.


seekerof

Syrian Accountability? It's about time!

I honestly don't know anything about this act, or who voted it in.

However, I am all for cutting off relations with countries who hate us. Everybody wants to bash America, but they still love our money, and want us to feed/clothe/provide for them.

I think it's time for an about-face. If your country wants to be vociferously anti-American, that's fine. That's freedom. But let's stop the aid immediately. Let them go 'cold turkey'. No benefits from us if that's how it's going to be. No trade, no aid, no nuthin'--and by that, I mean food and medical supplies either. If we're so bad and they're so good, let them figure out how they're going to feed themselves. After all, why would they want anything from us, right?

This is just tokenism.

I mean how much trade does Syria have with the USA.Virtually zero I would imagine.Syria mostly trades with the EU and Russia.So this will be as successful as the US Cuba embargo.

So it's all for show.Just for the election season.

And the true cost?

Yet again the cost is the perception of the USA around the world.

Unable or unwilling to be an honest broker.

Unable to treat two sides who both can be criticised equally.

Originally posted by John bull 1
This is just tokenism.

I mean how much trade does Syria have with the USA.Virtually zero I would imagine.Syria mostly trades with the EU and Russia.

Syria's exports in 2003 were over $6 billion.
The US accounted for about $250 million. (~4%)
Mostly fuel oil and crude.
US Imports from Syria

Syria's imports were about $5 billion in 2003, imports from the US accounted for about $215 million. (~4%)
Drilling & oilfield equipment, machinery and agricultural products and much more.
US Exports to Syria

OK,fair response Ace

With crude at $40 a barrel I'm sure Syrian exports won't be hit.

And the imports? They can get the same stuff from the EU or Russia.

There is no impact other than political and the pollitical impact only serves to marginalise the USA yet again in the international community.

Yup. Syria's imports and exports to and from the US are pretty minute.
This is much more a political move than anything else.

There is one way that it can cause major damage to the Syrian economy though. The EU is currently negotiating with Syria over imports/exports. This move could influence any decision made there.
If the EU impose sanctions, Syria is going to have a very hard time of it.

The problem is that France is one of the major players in the Syrian economy. And we all know how France plays it's sanctions game.

Leveller covered it there.

The EU is more likely to put sanctions on Israel than Syria.Or atleast as likely.

According to the EU....Syria is a Humanitarian state....somehow....

Right and so is the USA.

You are not placing Syria and the US in the same boat....they arent even in the same ocean....

OH we are talking about degrees of humanitarianism are we ?

Not humanitarainism as a standard.

You have to....no-nation is perfect...but some do more then others to TRY and help at times...

The problem isn't with the people of any country. Syrians and most of the civilian poplulation of the Arab world are fed false information, and dont have access to the kinds of info that the rest of the world are. The censorship there is among the worst in the world. In the US, the same thing goes on but in a different way. Instead of broadcasting lies, the media takes everything out of context and only shows you a small portion of what is really happening. Combine that with the lack of actual relevant data and the over-all "dont give a #" attitude of much of our country, and you have a populace ready and willing to go to war over something that their own government is responsible for. All the people of the world need to understand that most of the "crap" that happens, is a direct result of corrupt government's and corporations. The only people who benefit from anything going on in the middle east are the corporations who have the rebuilding contracts, and this adminstration. It certainly isn't our soldiers, or the people there determined to do good.

Regardless of how harsh the sanctions are, they rarely, if ever, accomplish their objective. The only way sanctions can work is if the entire world takes part.

US. already control must of the economy around the world, yes, it control must of the countries trades and imports but is one thing it can not control and that is the people that live in those countries so it uses sanctions on the goverments in hopes that they can try to control the people but actually must of this countries government is afraid of their own people.

The censorship there is among the worst in the world. In the US, the same thing goes on but in a different way. Instead of broadcasting lies, the media takes everything out of context and only shows you a small portion of what is really happening

US. have more censorship than any of those countries when it comes to how the media feed us what is going on with US and other countries. Is no censorship when they are able to see how US soldiers are torture by their captors on the arab media but here in US we are not to see any of that because is to strong for the compationate people of US. The only reason we are not allow to see whats is really going on in the middle east and Iraq is because is not good for politics. The sanctions in sirya is just another atempt to make the president look good in the public opinion eyes for election.

I wonder if Syria is on the list of America's threats, and if they actually do get attacked what that will do to Lebanon.

Although Syria claims to help Lebanon, they mainly took over all the high ranking positions there and puppet Lebanon around. Most if not all Lebanese want Syrians out of the country.

Lebanon is more and more becomming a modern nation. Beirut is compared as the New York of the middle east. Lebanon has perfect port access to the Meditteranean (sp?), so many countries would love to have their hands in there. I'm sure many Lebanese people are happy about this, regardless of how little it might effect Syria.

I know for a long while people have been asking why Syria wasn't on Bush's little list. They are very open about harboring people running from the US.