The National Post
U.S. imposes sanctions on Syrian President Assad
WASHNGTON/AMMAN — Washington imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for human rights abuses on Wednesday in a dramatic escalation of pressure on Syria to cease its brutal crackdown on protesters.
Assad had been partly rehabilitated in the West over the last three years but Western powers have condemned his use of force to quell protests against his 11 years in power.
Targeting Assad personally with sanctions, which the United States and European Union have so far avoided, is a significant slap at Damascus and raises questions about whether Washington and the West may ultimately seek Assad’s removal from power.
Human rights groups say at least 700 civilians have been killed in two months of clashes between government forces and protesters seeking an end of Assad’s rule.
The move, announced by the Treasury Department, freezes any assets of the Syrian officials that are in the United States or otherwise fall within U.S. jurisdiction and it generally bars U.S. individuals and companies from dealing with them.
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http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/imposes+sanctions+Syrian+President+Assad/4804546/story.html
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