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U.S. Blacklists Muallem, Shaaban, Syrian Envoy to Lebanon
[An Nahar] The U.S. Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Syria's foreign minister and two other brass hats Tuesday, adding new pressure on the embattled regime of  President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad One of the last of the old-fashioned hereditary iron-fisted fascist dictators. Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor... Asset freezes and bans on business interactions were imposed on Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, top presidential advisor Buthaina Shaaban, and Syrian ambassador to Leb Ali Abdul Karim Ali, the Treasury said. "Building on our sanctions targeting the entire government of Syria, we are bringing additional pressure to bear today directly on three senior Assad regime officials who are principal defenders of the regime's activities," said Treasury Under Secretary David Cohen. The new sanctions follow an August 18 order signed by President Barack B.O.Obama that froze all Syrian state assets inside the United States and forbade investment and exports to the country, due to the Assad government's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters. It also banned imports of oil and gas from Syria, aiming to hurt a key revenue stream for the Assad regime. The attacks on protesters "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States," the presidential order said. Posted by: Fred 2011-08-31 |
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