RadioFree
3 min
Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad given a warm welcome at the Arab League summit, marking the return to the Arab fold of the previously shunned leader
2 min
The return of Syria to the 22-nation bloc is expected to be at the center of the gathering
The organization suspended the country led by President Bashar al-Assad due to the violent crackdown on demonstrations in 2011
The bill would prohibit Washington from recognizing or normalizing relations with any Syrian government led by Assad, who is under U.S. sanctions
Captagon has long been a lucrative part of Syria's war economy, estimated to be worth billions of dollars a year
The invitation follows Syria’s reintegration into the Arab League and comes a day after Riyadh officially resumed diplomatic missions there
The decision to bring Syria back into the Arab fold consolidates a regional push to normalize ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
The target, a sewage treatment plant in the south of the country, was hiding a drug factory supervised by the terrorist organization
'We will not normalize with the Assad regime and our sanctions remain in full effect'
After months of deliberations, the agreement was made before voting occurred and was ratified by the vote