Statement by the NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the Presidential Determination with Respect to Syria

Today, the President signed a Presidential Determination exercising his authority to waive certain restrictions under the Arms Export Control Act.  This action will allow the U.S. Government to provide or license, where appropriate, certain non-lethal assistance inside or related to Syria.  This includes:  1) chemical weapons-related personal protective equipment to international organizations, including the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, for the conduct of their operations; 2) chemical weapons-related life-saving assistance for organizations implementing Department of State or U.S. Agency for International Development programs to strengthen local Syrian health care providers’ ability to prepare for and respond to any use of chemical weapons; and 3) defensive chemical weapons-related training and personal protective equipment to select vetted members of the Syrian opposition, including the Supreme Military Council, to protect against the use of chemical weapons.  This action is part of longstanding and ongoing efforts to provide life-saving chemical weapons-related assistance to people in need in Syria.