President Obama slapped economic sanctions on Syrian President Bashar Assad and six other Syrian officials Wednesday, after two months of waiting futilely for Assad to stop the killings of political protesters and commit to reforming his government. Obama issued the sanctions on the eve of a much-anticipated speech in which he will unveil a new set of policies toward Middle Eastern and North African nations now in the throes of popular anti-government uprisings.
The sanctions, which freeze all of Assad’s U.S. financial assets, signal an end to Obama’s patience with the Syrian leader.
Obama previously imposed sanctions on a number of Syrian officials, but never directly on Assad — until now. Administration officials said they were holding out hope that Assad would heed the protesters opposed to his family’s 40-year rule in Syria.
But Obama was increasingly being criticized for taking such a passive approach toward Assad while intervening militarily in Libya, where President Moammar Gadhafi was being accused of using the same heavy-handed tactics as Assad against anti-government protestors.
After weeks of applying pressure on Gadhafi through sanctions and strongly worded condemnations, Obama dispatched U.S. fighter jets to Libya as part of a NATO campaign to aid the anti-government rebels bent on ousting the Libyan leader.
The White House has not offered the same sort of assistance to Syrian protesters.
Obama is expected to use his speech Thursday to clarify why his policies differ in Syria, Libya and other countries wracked by uprisings.
Senior administration officials said Obama would focus more on a his long-term vision for the stability, democratization and economic prosperity for the troubled region.
“The president views the situation in the Middle East as a moment of opportunity,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said. “There is an opportunity in that region to focus on advancing our values and enhancing our security.”
Obama also will announce new initiatives aimed at supporting democratic reforms, some of which will cost the U.S. billions of dollars.
Senior officials say Egypt will serve as the model for other nations wanting U.S. dollars and support.
Obama will propose forgiving roughly $1 billion of Egypt’s $3.5 billion debt to the U.S. over the next few years. He also will announce roughly $1 billion in loan guarantees for Egypt.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have raised concerns that the U.S. can’t afford to forgive Egypt’s debts when the United States has reached its own borrowing limit and is struggling to reduce record budget deficits.
“Clearly Egypt is a cornerstone in that part of the world, and our relationship with them is very important,” Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said during a hearing on Egypt’s financial situation last month. “Having said that, we’ve got our own debt problems here and I doubt that China’s going to forgive any part of our debt.”
Obama is also planning to call for a revival of Arab-Israeli peace talks during his speech.
