Syria Policy Post-Assad: House Panel Warns al-Shara "Does Not Have a Blank Check"
Why it matters
The House Foreign Affairs Committee convened on February 10, 2026, to confront an uncomfortable reality: the Trump administration's rapid diplomatic embrace of Syria's new government is colliding with mounting evidence of sectarian violence against religious minorities. The hearing exposed bipartisan frustration that Syria's transitional president, Ahmed al-Shara — a former al-Qaeda fighter — is failing to meet the conditions Congress attached to the historic repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions. Chair Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL-21) set the tone early: "President al-Shara does not have a blank check from the United States of America."
The tension is clear. President Trump hosted al-Shara at the White House in November 2025 and signed an executive order revoking comprehensive Syria sanctions last June. But witnesses testified that the Syrian government has not withdrawn troops as required under a January 30 integration agreement with Kurdish forces, that foreign fighters remain embedded in security forces, and that Christians, Druze, and Kurds continue to face targeted violence.
The big picture
The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime created what witnesses described as a once-in-a-generation opening — and a minefield. Syria rose to #6 on Open Doors' global persecution index in 2026, up from #18 the prior year. A June 2025 ISIS suicide bombing at the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus killed at least 25 worshippers — the deadliest attack on Syrian Christians since 1860. UN experts expressed alarm at attacks on Druze communities, including the reported abduction of over 100 Druze women and girls.
Congress repealed the Caesar Act through the FY2026 NDAA in December 2025, but the repeal came with conditions: remove foreign fighters, protect minorities, investigate human rights abuses. This hearing was designed to assess whether those conditions are being met.
The January 2026 northeastern Syria offensive — in which Damascus forces seized key positions from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — served as the immediate catalyst. A January 30 agreement created a framework for SDF integration into the Syrian Army, but witnesses reported the deal is already fraying.
What they're saying
The hearing featured four witnesses with deep Syria expertise, and the exchanges were pointed.
"You can trim the beard of an Islamist and dress him up in a suit." — Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10), who played graphic videos of violence against Kurdish women fighters and challenged the panel to defend engagement with al-Shara.
"How a government treats its minority communities is a clear indicator of whether it will be a stable and reliable partner." — Nadine Maenza, Co-Chair, International Religious Freedom Roundtable, who documented beheadings, executions, and rape by Islamist elements within Syrian security forces.
"Sir, I have concerns about every leader I've dealt with in the Middle East." — James F. Jeffrey, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, responding to Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-2) pressing him on al-Shara's al-Qaeda ties.
Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY-5) struck a cautiously optimistic tone, celebrating the end of Assad's "brutal dictatorship" but warning: "We must see President Shara keep to his word of being a president for all Syrians." He also took a direct shot at the administration's dismantling of USAID, calling it a crippling blow to stabilization efforts.
Mara E. Karlin, Johns Hopkins SAIS, a former senior Pentagon official, described humanitarian conditions as "pretty devastating" and warned: "Syria's moving in the right direction. But its trajectory is not guaranteed."
Andrew J. Tabler, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, flagged in his written testimony that Damascus's military moves against the SDF, Druze, and Alawite communities "have caused considerable concern in Washington."
When Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) asked Maenza directly whether Syria has met the conditions for Caesar Act repeal, she named three failures: foreign fighters remain, minorities face continued violence, and the March 10 agreement appeared "designed to fail."
Political stakes in U.S. Syria policy post-Assad
The hearing puts the Trump administration in an awkward position. The White House moved aggressively to engage al-Shara — hosting him, revoking sanctions, pushing to lift UN designations — but the evidence presented at this hearing suggests the conditions Congress set for that engagement are not being met.
For Republicans, the religious freedom dimension is politically charged. Christian evangelical voters — a core GOP constituency — are watching minority persecution in Syria closely. Members like Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4) have built careers on this issue. The USCIRF policy update from July 2025 explicitly recommended conditioning sanctions relief on religious freedom improvements — a position that now sits in tension with what the administration has done.
For Democrats, the USAID issue provides an opening. Sherman's accusation that the administration's elimination of USAID "may be responsible for three million deaths in the last year" was the hearing's sharpest partisan attack.
Former HFAC Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX-10) pressed Maenza on the January 30 agreement's implementation and received a sobering morning update: the Syrian government has not withdrawn troops, the governor of Hasakah remains unappointed, and hate speech continues.
The other side
Not everyone at the hearing was pessimistic. Ambassador Jeffrey noted that U.S. agencies reportedly worked with al-Shara beginning in 2016 against ISIS and Assad, and that the PKK ceasefire with Turkey is "gaining real momentum." He argued the SDF leadership has moved beyond the PKK's control.
Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-1) asked Karlin whether the January 30 agreement would hold. Karlin's answer: "It's too early to tell... the words are right. I think now we've got to be vigilant and monitoring."
A Chatham House analysis warned that the administration's approach "has not led to a plan or process to address Syria's most pressing issues," but also noted that the EU may be "uniquely positioned to lead" on post-conflict stabilization.
Jeffrey also cautioned against overreach, citing a failed billion-dollar community policing program in Iraq: "Whenever we get into more details and more directive missions... you get cultural problems."
What's next
The committee established a monitoring framework around four benchmarks: security force integration, inclusive governance, minority rights, and justice and accountability. The NDAA provisions require the administration to submit certification reports within 30 days on Syrian government progress.
Witnesses unanimously recommended reopening a full U.S. embassy in Damascus as the top priority. Multiple members signaled they expect follow-up hearings if conditions do not improve.
The SDF integration agreement's implementation — or failure — will be the near-term flashpoint. Maenza warned: "Unless the international community and the U.S. in particular is really strong on it, that might not happen."
The bottom line
Congress gave the administration the sanctions relief it wanted — but this hearing made clear that the receipt comes with conditions, and both parties are watching to see if the check bounces.
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