US sanctions target three Syrian officials

The United States has frozen the US assets and banned business transactions with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem and two other senior Syrian officials in response to Syria's increasingly violent crackdown against anti-government protesters.

The other two officials targeted by the latest sanctions were Syria's ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali and President Bashar al-Assad's adviser Bouthaina Shaaban.

"We are bringing additional pressure to bear today directly on three senior Assad regime officials who are principle defenders of the regime's activities," David Cohen, Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a statement on Tuesday.

"This puts increased amount of pressure on those surrounding President Assad," Rosalind Jordan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, said.

"All US citizens are now banned from conducting any transactions with these three men," she said.

The new sanctions follow an August 18 order signed by President Barack Obama that froze all Syrian state assets inside the United States and forbade investment and exports to the country.

It also banned imports of oil and gas from Syria, aiming to hurt a key revenue stream for the Assad regime.
The attacks on protesters "constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States," the presidential order said.

Violence continues

The latest round of sanctions came as Syrian security forces reportedly shot dead at least seven protesters on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Protests erupted in many towns and cities after Muslims performed morning prayers marking the end of Ramadan.

The Local Co-ordination Committees (LCC) activist network said six of the deaths occurred in the southern province of Deraa and one in Homs.

Syrian security forces reportedly also opened fire on protesters in the town of Deir ez-Zor.

LCC said a "huge" protest was formed as worshippers emerged from the al-Omari mosque in Daraa and marched to the town's cemetery. Muslims traditionally visit graves on the first day of Eid.

Large demonstrations were also reported in cities including Deraa, Idlib, Hama and Homs, and in Damascus suburbs.

A day earlier, security forces killed at least eight people and wounded dozens in raids across the country, according to opposition activists.

The rights group Avaaz said five people were killed in the town of Sarameen in Idlib province, when security forces stormed the town.

Tanks and armoured vehicles rolled into various flashpoint areas, including the towns of Rastan and Heet in Homs province.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies