U.S. Treasury Sanctions Syrian Officials over Suspected Sarin Attack

W460

The U.S. government imposed "sweeping sanctions" on Syrian officials in response to what the U.S. says was a sarin gas attack on civilians earlier this month, the Treasury Department announced Monday.

The Treasury ordered a freeze on all assets in the United States belonging to 271 employees of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), and blocked any American person or business from dealing with them. 

The SSRC was responsible for producing the chemical weapons Washington believes were used in the attack and the means to deliver them, the statement said.

A suspected chemical attack left 87 dead, including many children, in rebel-held territory in Idlib province on April 4, with the West accusing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of being responsible.

"These sweeping sanctions target the scientific support center for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s horrific chemical weapons attack on innocent civilian men, women, and children," Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement.

"The United States is sending a strong message with this action that we will hold the entire Assad regime accountable for these blatant human rights violations in order to deter the spread of these types of barbaric chemical weapons." 

Treasury already had imposed sanctions against 18 Syrian officials in January, and Mnuchin said the administration "will relentlessly pursue and shut down the financial networks of all individuals involved with the production of chemical weapons used to commit these atrocities."

The United States also fired 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield on April 7 in response to the suspected chemical weapons attack.

Comments 11
Thumb flamethrower-_ 24 April 2017, 21:27

Best president ever!

Thumb galaxy 24 April 2017, 21:31

The Treasury ordered a freeze on all assets in the United States belonging to 271 employees of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), and blocked any American person or business from dealing with them.

and do they have any?

toothless sanctions

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 April 2017, 01:41

._mowaten._ is a fake account impersonating me

Thumb liberty 25 April 2017, 02:06

what is there to 'impersonate', filth?

Thumb enterprise 25 April 2017, 06:56

yes everybody knows mowaten is a fake account.

Thumb flamethrower-_ 24 April 2017, 21:46

lulz @ mowaten for knowing what everyone in the whole world knows, it's 100% Fabrication. President Assad is clear, there was no military reason to hit Khan Sheikhun. The reports by the Russia defense ministry and the Syrian foreign ministry of Syrian air strikes on Khan Sheikhun were all lies and 100% fabrication, their story is not convincing by any means. President Assad had nothing to gain by it as his forces had no military reason to hit Khan Sheikhun having no strategic value and being far from the current battlefront.

Default-user-icon Truthwillwin (Guest) 24 April 2017, 22:19

I You're so funny 37anonymous... Rifaat Al Assad is no longer a part of the syrian state since April 1984, most of the arabs know that Rifaats money come from his old friends from the Saudi royal family, watch YouTube many videos of Rifaats officials visits to Saudi Kingdom and how greatly they used to welcome him until 2012 !!! They freezed Rifaats assets thinking that it will damage the name of the Assad family but it will never happen, he was welcomed as a president in Europe since 1984 so why all that just now in the same time of the well known 100% fabricated chemical attack ???

Thumb _mowaten_ 25 April 2017, 01:32

._mowaten._ is a fake account impersonating me

judging by the way he imitates and quotes my older comments, it's another account by eagleyawn

Thumb liberty 25 April 2017, 02:05

judging by your comments it is another one of your fake accounts that you use to insult people when you have no arguments.

Thumb scorpyonn 25 April 2017, 10:16

One of those missiles that were sent to the airbase should have been sent to that coward Assad's palace as a warning that they can get him anytime. If I were Trump I would have ordered a hit like that too on this animal who attacks and kills defenseless people whose only crime is that they are alive.

Thumb gigahabib 25 April 2017, 11:50

Lol, Trump can kill and sicriminate as many Muslims he wants anywhere, as long as he bombs Assad forces once in a while, the Sunni world will forgive him for anything.

Just see the commentators here.