Credit: Wikipedia Commons /  President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bashar Al-Assad 

By Gary Raynaldo       DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The United States on Wednesday slapped sanctions on the son of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, under the so-called Caesar Act.   The State Department and Treasury Department continued the Trump administration’s  sanctions campaign against the Assad regime by releasing 14 new designations under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act and other authorities. This campaign began last month with the first round of Caesar Act travel and economic sanctions targeting 39 Syrian individuals, including President Assad and his wife.   Today, the U.S. designated  President  al-Assad’s eldest  adult son Hafez al-Assad pursuant to E.O. 13894 Section 2(a)(ii). 

“Among today’s actions, we are also designating Bashar al-Assad’s adult son Hafez al-Assad pursuant to E.O. 13894 Section 2(a)(ii).   We will continue to hold Bashar al-Assad and his regime accountable for their atrocities, while keeping the memory of their victims alive.It is time for Assad’s needless, brutal war to end.  This, above all, is what our sanctions campaign is meant to bring about.”

-Secretary of State Michael Pompeo

The State Department  also designated Zuhair Tawfiq al-Assad and the First Division of the Syrian Arab Army pursuant to E.O. 13894 Section 2(a)(i)(A)   in addition to Zuhair Tawfiq al Assad’s adult son, Karam al-Assad, under Section 2(a)(ii).

Assad regime’s military has become a symbol of brutality, repression, and corruption: Pompeo

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  ©Diplomatic Times /  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  briefs reporters at Department of State headquarters in Washington D.C. 

“The Assad regime’s military has become a symbol of brutality, repression, and corruption. They have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, detained and tortured peaceful protesters, and destroyed schools, hospitals, and markets without regard to human life. ”   -Pompeo 

The Caesar Sanctions were named more than six years ago  after a policeman only known as Caesar smuggled out of Syria the photographic proof that the Assad regime was torturing and executing many thousands of Syrians in the regime’s prisons, Pompeo said.

“The Assad regime and those who support it have a simple choice: take irreversible steps toward a lasting political solution to end the Syrian conflict as called for by UNSCR 2254 or face new tranches of crippling sanctions.”