China: Syria defiant against US sanctions

Xinhua

Syrian official denounces U.S. sanctions on President Assad: TV

DAMASCUS, May 19 (Xinhua) -- A Syrian official on Thursday denounced the sanctions slapped by the U.S. administration on President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian state TV reported.

"Syrian Arab Republic denounces procedures taken by the United States against President Basher al-Assad and a number of senior Syrian officials under the pretexts of Syria's current events," the source was cited by Syria's state TV as saying.

He added that "these procedures are one of a series of sanctions slapped by the successive U.S. administrations on the Syrian people within its regional plans that serve Israel's interests."

The source argued that the sanctions will not affect Syria's " independent decision" and its "steadfastness" in the face of the U. S. attempts to dominate Syria's national decision and its comprehensive reform.

On Wednesday, Washington imposed sanctions on Assad and six senior Syrian officials for human rights abuses over their crackdown on the two-month-long anti-government protests.

The sanctions will freeze all assets of Assad and the six Syrian government officials in U.S. jurisdiction and make it illegal for Americans to do business with them.

Human rights groups accuse the Syrian authorities of standing behind the death of 900 Syrians in its crackdown on the unprecedented peaceful protests that have swept across the country for two months.

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