CAATSA Full Form
What is the full form of CAATSA?
Iran, North Korea, and Russia were subject to sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a federal law of the United States. After passing House 419-3, the bill was approved by the Senate on July 27, 2017, by a vote of 98-2. President Donald Trump signed the measure into law on August 2, 2017, despite his opinion that it was "seriously defective.
Legislative History
In January 2017, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill aimed at addressing Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, as well as its interference in the 2016 Unites States. presidential election. The bill sought to formalize and expand upon existing sanctions that had been imposed through executive actions. The bill, known as the Countering Russian Influence in Europe and Eurasia Act of 2017 (CRIEEA), was passed by the U.S. Senate on June 15th, 2017 with a 98-2 vote, as an amendment to an underlying Iran sanctions bill.
Provisions
The President must enact sanctions under CAATSA on Iran's ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programmes, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated foreign nationals, as well as any sales of military hardware to Iran or transfers of related technical or financial support.
Sanctions may be imposed by the President against those accountable for abuses of people's rights in Iran that are acknowledged on a global scale.
Under certain conditions, the President may temporarily suspend the implementation or continuation of sanctions.
Domestic Reactions
President Trump-
President Trump gave two distinct, simultaneous signing statements on the day the bill was signed into law. While I support severe measures to penalise and deter aggressive and disruptive behaviour by Iran, North Korea, and Russia, this legislation is seriously flawed, he added in a statement intended for Congress. In rushing to approve this measure, Congress added some blatantly unconstitutional clauses, like limitations on the executive branch's power that restricted its ability to pursue an independent foreign policy. The statement pointed out, among other things, that the Act violated the Supreme Court's decision in Zivotofsky v. Kerry. The president seemed to suggest that he would decide not to enforce some laws: "My Administration will give careful and respectful consideration to any
International Reaction
Union of Europe-
In a joint statement released in mid-June 2017, Germany and Austria claimed that certain provisions about gas pipeline projects with Russia posed an illegal threat to European Union (EU) energy security and that the proposed bill signalled the beginning of a "new and very negative quality in European-American relations."
The new U.S. penalties were declared as being unlawful under international law because of their extraterritorial scope by France's foreign ministry on July 26, 2017.
The draught law's penalties against Russia drew scathing criticism and warnings of retaliation from the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, at the end of July 2017.
Brigitte Zypries, Germany's Minister for Economics and Energy, said the penalties were against international law and encouraged the European Union to take the necessary countermeasures.
Implementation
The CRIEEA, which was introduced by Senators John McCain (R-Ariz or Republican from Arizona.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md. or Dentariae Medicinae Doctor) in May 2017, assigns specific responsibilities and powers to the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Director of National Intelligence, as per a Presidential Memorandum signed by President Donald Trump on September 29, 2017. The bill also strengthens sectoral sanctions against Russia and cites the 2014 Ukraine Freedom Support Act and the 2014 Assistance for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act.
On October 11, 2017, Senators McCain and Cardin issued a joint statement expressing concerns about the Trump Administration's commitment to enforcing the sanctions outlined in the CRIEEA.
Criticism
According to a senior research fellow at Singapore's ISEAS ( Institute of Southeast Asian Studies)-Yusof Ishak Institute, Washington's efforts to curb Russia's arms exports through the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) may have unintended consequences for Southeast Asian countries seeking to counter China's growing influence. These efforts may impede some countries' attempts to strengthen their defences and could even bolster China's position in the region.
According to strategic forecasting company Stratfor, the CAATSA process may also discourage Vietnam from deepening its defence partnership with the United States in order to preserve its strategic autonomy. As middle powers are becoming increasingly independent and less inclined to align themselves with any one major power, the U.S. reliance on extraterritorial sanctions may ultimately prove to be counter-productive.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
On June 15, 2017, the United States Senate approved the bill by a vote of 98 to 2. (an amendment to the underlying Iran sanctions bill).
To comply with CAATSA, companies must carefully evaluate their business relationships and transactions to ensure they do not violate US sanctions. This involves conducting comprehensive due diligence on potential partners, customers, and suppliers to ensure they are not on any US sanctions lists. Additionally, companies should implement robust compliance programs that include regular training for employees on sanctions regulations and ongoing monitoring of transactions to ensure compliance. It is also essential to keep up-to-date with changes in US sanctions regulations and adjust compliance programs accordingly.
39 Russian enterprises including all the major defence firms including Rosoboron export, Sukhoi Aviation, and Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, are alerted by Section 231 of the statute regarding transactions that may result in sanctions.
India has always had its own independent foreign policy. This is also true of the supplies and purchases it makes for defence, which are motivated by concerns for national security.
Despite the continuous unrest in Ukraine and the US hardening its stance against Russia, India has remained neutral and refuses to support any of the sanctions imposed by Western countries on that country.
India has already spoken frequently about the need for S-400 missiles for border defence against China.
The US passed the CAATSA law in 2017, and it was designed to use economic sanctions to target nations that have close ties to Iran, North Korea, and Russia. According to the report, at least five different types of sanctions will be imposed on nations that engage in “major transactions” with Russian intelligence and military agents.