WASHINGTON/DAMASCUS, 12 May 2004 — US President George W. Bush imposed economic sanctions on Syria yesterday for allegedly supporting terrorism and failing to stop anti-US guerrillas from entering Iraq, a US legislator said.
The widely expected sanctions ban US exports to Syria other than food and medicine, freeze the assets of certain Syrian nationals and entities, and restrict US banking relations with the Arab nation, according to the lawmaker, who attended a White House briefing on the decision.
The White House had no immediate comment and there was no word on whether the sanctions included anticipated curbs on future US investments in Syria by American energy companies. “I believe the president has signed it and the executive order will be published later today,” said an administration official, who added that the sanctions resemble the embargo against Cuba. “This could really hurt their banking industry.”
The lawmaker, who asked not to be identified, also said Bush held out the possibility of further sanctions under the Syria Accountability Act that was enacted last year.
Earlier yesterday, Syria issued a defiant statement in which Prime Minister Naji Al-Otari said Damascus was “capable of facing” the challenge of US sanctions and “overcoming their ramifications”.
Some Bush administration officials believe Syria has centrifuges capable of purifying uranium for use in atom bombs. But the intelligence community is divided on the issue. US officials have warned that Abdul Qadeer Khan, the Pakistani scientist who sold nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea, had other customers. Western diplomats in Vienna said some Bush administration officials believe Syria is one of them.
