The demise of the most brutal dictatorship in the Middle East does not seem imminent, as the prospects for the country’s stability under its rule or to rebuild the economy, which suffered a major setback, are diminished.
The Washington Post is commenting - in its opening today - on the impact of what has become known as the "Caesar" law, which was passed by Congress and imposes severe penalties on the Syrian regime, which entered its first stages on June 17.
At the beginning of this year, the American newspaper says, the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, was pushing for his ultimate victory in the nine-year civil war. And his forces, with the support of Russian warplanes, were launching an attack on Idlib Governorate, which gave the impression that he was likely to crush the last major stronghold of the opposition forces.
But Turkey's unexpectedly strong intervention halted the attack, and since then the Assad regime has suffered a series of setbacks, including an economic meltdown and the resumption of popular protests, not to mention the entry into force of new US sanctions that could become particularly severe, according to the newspaper.
The newspaper reminded that "Caesar" - whose name was given to the new penal law - is the nickname for a Syrian defector who smuggled 55,000 photos of people who were tortured and killed in Syrian prisons and hospitals, and his courage and testimony before Congress prompted the ratification of legislation from the Republican and Democratic parties imposing an escalation of pressure on Syria , Including punishing any foreign entities that support the Assad regime, its air forces, its oil industry and even any entity that contributes to the country's reconstruction projects.
She pointed out that the mere possibility of implementing these measures has already helped the collapse of the Syrian currency, which lost two thirds of its value since the beginning of the year.
She said that this system, in a desperate attempt to get the money, tried to take advantage of Rami Makhlouf, the president's cousin, who is the country's largest businessman, but Makhlouf refused to comply with the demands of the system. Instead, it caused a distinct rift in the ruling group.
Meanwhile, pressure on ordinary Syrians, according to the newspaper, has led to renewed unrest in cities such as Daraa that were the cradle of the first spark of the uprising against Assad in 2011.
But what US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that his implementation of the "Caesar" law has been relatively modest, according to the newspaper, and was limited to targeting a footnote to Assad and Iranian militia leaders, noting that most of these are already subject to US sanctions.
But she quoted Pompeo, commenting on this first stage, as saying, "We expect more and more sanctions and we will not stop" until the Assad regime agrees to a political solution to the conflict as stipulated in United Nations resolutions.
"If the Trump administration follows the law carefully, this should lead to sanctions against Russian officials and companies that support the Syrian war effort, as well as any foreign companies that buy Syrian oil or help in construction projects," the newspaper commented.
At best, the Washington Post says, one manifestation of the effect may be to force Russia and Iran to abandon the Assad regime rather than remain mired in a conflict that cannot be won as its costs rise.
The paper concluded by inviting those who supported Caesar's law in Congress, including the heads of the Foreign Relations Committees of the House and Senate, to make sure that the US administration strictly and fully implements what Pompeo announced.