Posted on 01/18/2006 6:46:06 PM PST by Stultis
Asef Shawkat, brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad, is said by the US to have promoted terrorism and interference in Lebanese affairs.
He is also accused by Washington of playing a direct role in Syria's alleged support for militants in Iraq.
There was no immediate response from Mr Shawkat to the US decision.
It is the latest US action apparently aimed at increasing pressure on the Syrian government.
Damascus has been under heavy international pressure since the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in Beirut on 14 February last year when Syrian forces were still stationed in the country.
The attack led to widespread protests in Lebanon and extensive international pressure on Syria, forcing it to end its 29-year-old military presence in Lebanon in April.
'Significant signal'
In June, the treasury department froze the assets of Syria's late Interior Minister, Ghazi Kanaan, and its chief of military intelligence for Lebanon, Rustum Ghazali.
On Wednesday, the department ordered US banks to block any assets found in the US belonging to Mr Shawkat and banned American citizens from doing business with him.
He had, it said, played a role in furthering Syria's "support for terrorism and interference in the sovereignty of Lebanon".
It accused Mr Shawkat of having dealings with Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups designated by the US as terrorists.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Mr Shawkat had "directly contributed to Syria's support for terrorism, including the insurgency in Iraq".
"Today's action is a significant signal that those like Mr Shawkat who support Syrian terrorism will be held to account," he added.
Syria is on the US government's list of countries and organisations accused of supporting terrorism, although the two sides maintain diplomatic relations.
| US ties Syrian official to Iraq insurgency (Assad's Bro In Law, Spy chief) ^ |
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| Posted by HHKrepublican_2 On News/Activism ^ 01/18/2006 5:05:23 PM CST · 11 replies · 256+ views AFP ^ WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House on Wednesday for the first time named a Syrian official as having "directly contributed" to support for the insurgency in Iraq, as the United States moved to freeze his assets. ADVERTISEMENT The charge came after the US Treasury Department slapped the financial sanctions on the official, Syrian military spy chief Asset Shawkat, the brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad. "Mr. Shawkat, as Syria's chief of military intelligence, has directly contributed to Syria's support for terrorism, including the insurgency in Iraq, Palestinian terrorist groups given shelter in Damascus, and Hezbollah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon,"... |
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| U.S. Blocks Syrian Intel Chief's Assets ~ More pressure on Syria.... ^ |
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| Posted by Ernest_at_the_Beach On News/Activism ^ 01/18/2006 12:42:09 PM CST · 4 replies · 220+ views Las Vegas Sun ^ | January 18, 2006 at 10:11:22 PST | JEANNINE AVERSA ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration acted Wednesday to financially clamp down on Syria's military intelligence chief, Assef Shawkat. The Treasury Department ordered U.S. banks to block any assets found in the United States belonging to Shawkat. Americans also are barred from doing business with him. The department alleged that Shawkat has played a role in furthering Syria's "support for terrorism and interference in the sovereignty of Lebanon." It marked the United States' latest action to turn up the heat on Syria. In June, the department moved to block the assets of Syria's interior minister, Ghazi Kanaan, and its chief... |
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| The Bashar Connection (The Syrian Thug Tried to Insite Shiite Insurrection in Iraq) ^ |
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| Posted by MikeA On News/Activism ^ 01/13/2006 4:02:45 PM CST · 149+ views The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 13, 2006 [Paul Bremer] writes that in the fall of 2003 he was told about a secret attempt by Syrian President Bashar Assad to incite the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the pre-eminent Shiite cleric in Iraq, against Americans. Mr. Bremer was told by a messenger that the Ayatollah had received a secret communique from Mr. Assad urging him to "issue a fatwa calling for a jihad against the Coalition," similar to the one the Shia had called against British occupying forces in 1920. "This was an act of extraordinary irresponsibility from Syria's president," Mr. Bremer writes. "We had good intelligence showing that... |
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Now if the EU banks will follow suit, the guy will have little monies left to bankroll terrorist groups.
Search for truncks of cash and gold. These guys did not rely on interest rates or investments. Their money used to grow up without any limits through other ways and means.
Good points, and well taken.
Don't hold your breath.
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