Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act

The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016 is a controversial act drafted by the United States Congress by both Democrats and Republicans during a lame duck session sanctioning Syrian government. On November 15, 2016 it passed the house unanimously as The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act (HR 5732). This is a new bipartisan legislation that would impose new sanctions upon the Damascus regime. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, the legislation would impose fresh sanctions on entities conducting business with the Assad regime and its military and intelligence agencies. A number of regime-controlled industries, including in the airline, telecommunications and energy sectors, would also be targeted. The legislation would also require the U.S president to report to Congress on the prospects for a no-fly zone in Syria. It also aims to encourage negotiations by allowing the President to waive sanctions if the parties are engaged in meaningful negotiations and the violence against civilians has ceased. The bill would authorize the Secretary of State to support entities that are collecting and preserving evidence for the eventual prosecution of those who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria from March 2011 to the present, require the President to report to Congress on the names of those who are responsible for or complicit in gross violations of human rights of the Syrian people.