(Reuters) - Washington imposed sanctions on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other senior officials on Wednesday in a dramatic escalation of pressure on Syria to halt a violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests... Targeting Assad personally with sanctions, which the US and the EU had previously avoided, is a significant slap at Damascus and raises questions about whether the West may ultimately seek Assad's removal from power... A senior U.S. official said the new sanctions were meant to force Assad to carry out promised political reforms. "President Assad has a clear choice: either to lead this transition to democracy or to leave," the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters. The U.S. move, announced by the Treasury Department, freezes any of the Syrian officials' assets that are in the United States ... In addition to Assad, the sanctions will target Vice President Farouq al-Shara, Prime Minister Adel Safar, Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim al-Shaar, Defense Minister Ali Habib plus Abdul Fatah Qudsiya, head of Syrian military intelligence, and Mohammed Dib Zaitoun, director of the political security directorate. U.S. officials were unable to estimate the value of the assets involved ... "
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Senior US Official: "President Assad has a choice: Lead this transition to democracy or Leave!"
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Dramatic escalation of pressure? Well since I don't have my popcorn out, maybe not that dramatic... Once again, shows you who Reuters is working for when it keeps on exaggerating Syrian events as it has been doing from the start.
PS: cut relations with Iran, cut aid to Hezbollah, and sign biased peace deal with Israel = transition to democracy
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