US imposes sanctions on ‘key enablers’ of Syria’s Assad government

Washington blacklists head of Syrian General Intelligence Directorate and governor of Central Bank of Syria

By MEE staff in Washington

The US said its main goal is not regime change, but to force the Assad government to adhere to international standards (AFP/File photo)

The United States has slapped sanctions on several “key enablers” of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, as Washington tries to push Damascus back to UN-led negotiations and broker an end to the country’s near decade-long war.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement on Wednesday that it had blacklisted 13 Syrian entities and six individuals, including the governor of the Central Bank of Syria, as part of measures aimed at cutting off revenues to the Assad government.

Among those sanctioned were the head of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate, Husam Muhammad Louka; the governor of the Central Bank of Syria, Hazem Younes Karfoul; and Syrian businessman Khodr Taher Bin Ali, who the Treasury said was connected to the Syrian Arab army and the Assad government.

“Those who continue to stand with the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad further enable its corruption and human rights abuses,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.

“The United States will continue to employ all of its tools and authorities to target the finances of anyone who profits from or facilitates the Assad regime’s abuse of the Syrian people,” Mnuchin added.

The entities designated in Wednesday’s announcement included Syrian companies in the telecommunications, tourism, and technology industries.

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