Action Targets Senior Syrian
Officials as well as Companies
Linked to Syrian WMD Proliferation
WASHINGTON – Since
the uprising against the Assad regime began last spring, the U.S. Department of
the Treasury has been working to apply sanctions on those involved in human
rights abuse in Syria, senior Syrian government officials, and the Syrian
government itself to help bring about an end to the Assad regime’s abhorrent
campaign of violence against the Syrian people. To date, we have imposed
sanctions on more than 100 individuals and entities, as well as the entire
Syrian government, including its Central Bank and oil companies.
Continuing these efforts, the Treasury Department today
designated 29 senior officials of the Syrian government; five companies linked
to the Syrian government agency responsible for developing and producing
non-conventional weapons and the missiles to deliver them, Scientific Studies
and Research Center (SSRC); and a company owned by Rami Makhluf, a corrupt
crony of President Assad.
“Today’s actions reflect the unwavering commitment of the
United States to pressure the Assad regime to end the carnage and relinquish
power,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
David S. Cohen. “As long as Assad stays
in power, the bloodshed and instability in Syria will only mount, and we will
continue working with our partners in the international community to ensure
that the inevitable political transition occurs as rapidly as possible.”
In addition to applying a broad set of sanctions, the United
States is also working closely with other countries to enhance the multilateral
pressure brought to bear on Syria. On
June 6, 2012, in Washington, D.C., the Treasury Department hosted the Friends
of the Syrian People International Working Group on Sanctions, at which countries
worked to broaden and harmonize restrictive measures against the Syrian
regime. The next meeting of the Working
Group will take place tomorrow, July 19, 2012, in Qatar.
In today’s action, the Treasury Department is designating 29
Syrian government officials, including the Minister of Finance, the Minister of
Justice, and the Governor of the Central Bank who has attempted to evade the
sanctions place on Syria, as well as other members of Assad’s cabinet who have
not been previously designated, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13573, which
targets senior officials of the Government of Syria.
The Treasury Department today also designated five
companies, pursuant to E.O. 13382, that are being used to advance the regime’s
proliferation efforts. Industrial Solutions, Mechanical Construction Factory
(MCF), Handasieh (aka General Organization for Engineering Industries),
Business Lab, and Syrian Arab Company for Electronic Industries (aka Syronics)
were designated for acting for or on behalf of Syria’s SSRC, the entity
responsible for the development of biological and chemical weapons as well as
the missiles to deliver them. The U.S.
Department of State today has also sanctioned these five companies pursuant to
E.O. 12938 because these entities contributed materially (or posed a risk of
contributing materially) to the proliferation of WMD or their means of delivery
(including missiles capable of delivering such weapons).
Finally, today’s action also targets Drex Technologies, a
company based in Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Drex belongs to Assad’s billionaire cousin
and government insider, Rami Makhluf, who was designated by the Treasury
Department in February 2008 under E.O. 13460 for improperly benefiting from and
aiding the public corruption of Syrian regime officials. Drex Technologies was designated pursuant to
E.O. 13572, which authorizes the United States to sanction any entities owned
or controlled by persons designated under E.O. 13460.
These actions freeze any assets the designated individuals
or entities may hold in the U.S. and prohibit U.S. persons or companies from
dealing with them.
For more information
about the individuals and entities designated today please see the accompanying
Fact Sheet.
071812 Fact Sheet Syria Designations.pdf
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