US officials begin drawing up sanctions against Syria regime

The Obama administration in the United States has begun drawing up targeted sanctions against Syrian President Bashar Assad and his inner circle, officials said yesterday, as the White House escalated US condemnation of the increasingly violent crackdown against anti-government protesters in which more than 300 people have been killed.

An official familiar with the process said inter-agency discussions about the severity and scope of possible sanctions were under way but they probably would involve asset freezes and travel bans against Mr Assad, members of his family and senior regime officials.

Syria already is subject to numerous penalties as it is deemed a “state sponsor of terrorism” by the State Department. The sanctions now being considered would target specific individuals accused of ordering or committing human rights abuses, the official said.

The model for the Syria sanctions probably would be the penalties the administration put in place against senior Iranian officials for human rights abuses in the aftermath of disputed elections, the official said.

The official said sanctions would be announced some time soon but was not specific about the timing. However, they noted that calls for sanctions to be imposed quickly have been growing.