Fourth, and finally, refrain from pushing for early elections and instead focus on supporting the development of a new constitution guaranteeing civil and minority rights, with a particular emphasis on electoral laws.

Third, engage freely with the interim Syrian government and other relevant political actors, but withhold formal legal recognition of that government until it demonstrates control over all Syrian territory and takes tangible steps to govern inclusively.

Second, prioritize the need for immediate economic relief by lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria that targeted the now-deposed regime of Bashar al-Assad

First, use all available tools, up to and including sanctions, to prevent external spoilers from hindering democratic progress.

In this report, I lay out the following four lessons I derived from my experience working on the Arab Spring/Uprisings during the Obama administration that I believe are relevant to Syria’s transition.