NCRI – The U.S. President announced that Bashar Assad, the Syrian dictator, and six other senior Syrian officials are sanctioned for suppressing the protesters.
For participating in the suppression of the Syrian demonstrators, Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ Qods Force and Mohsen Chizari, another senior commander of Qods Force are also sanctioned.
This step was announced as part of U.S. efforts for ending violent suppression of public demonstrations in Syria.
U.S. President Barak Obama warned Bashar Assad that he had to engage in transition of power or get out of the way.
Obama’s executive order, published by the White House, makes it clear that the increased pressure on Syrian government is to stop use of violence and start the transition to democracy which guarantees global rights of the Syrian people.
In addition to Bashar Assad, the U.S. President’s executive order includes 6 other officials of the Syrian government: Vice President Farouq al-Shar’, Prime Minister Adel Safar, Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim al-Shear, Defense Minister Ali Habib Mahmoud, Army Intelligence Organization’s Chief Abdul-Fattah Qudseya, and Political Security Agecy’s Director Mohammad Dib Zaytun.
The statement of sanctions against Syrian officials unequivocally says: We are against Bashar Assad’s behavior and he must stop the policy of suppression and widespread arrests.
Because of the suppression, Bashar Assad has isolated himself in the international community.
It is up to Assad to choose to lead the political transition or to leave the power.
Announcement of new sanctions against Syrian dictator was welcomed by senior officials of U.S. Congress.
Senator John McCain, former rival of Barak Obama in the 2008 presidential elections and Joe Lieberman said in a joint communiqué that: The strong and principled action of President Obama should contain this clear message that the United States is standing by the courageous Syrian protesters and the Assad regime has lost its legitimacy for us.
In a statement, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairperson of the House Foreign relations Committee called for sanctions against Bashar Assad by the European Union. She also asked for the U.S. Ambassador to Damascus to be recalled to Washington.
