As Syrians Die, Iran Helps Assad

VOA News -- The United Nations says that more than 9000 Syrians have been killed since the Assad regime began its brutal assault against anti-government protesters over a year ago.

Many countries in the world have expressed horror at the violence Syrian President Bashar al Assad has released on the Syrian people. But the Syrian regime’s staunch friend and ally, Iran, is not one of them. Instead, as the Commander of U.S. Central Command, Marine Corps General James Mattis recently told Congress, Iranian authorities have worked diligently to aid and abet Assad in his repression:

”They’re providing the kind of weapons that are being used right now to suppress the opposition. They are providing listening capability, eavesdropping capability to try and pick up where the opposition networks are at; and they are providing experts who I can only say are experts in oppressing. They are pretty well-schooled. They know how to oppress their own people in Tehran. They’ve flown them into Damascus to help Assad do the same thing.”

U.N. Security council Resolution 1747 prohibits the export of arms or related materials of any kind from Iran. At a Security Council briefing this month, the U.S., France and Britain expressed deep concern over the illegal supply of weapons by Iran to the Syrian regime.

On March 27, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against an Iranian cargo airline, three Iranian Qods Force officials, a shipping agent, and a trading company involved in the transfer of weapons to the Middle East and Africa. The action, said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen, “again exposes Iran’s malign influence in the Middle East, Africa and beyond. As the Iranian regime exports its lethal aid and expertise to foment violence in Syria and Africa, Treasury will continue to expose the officials and companies involved and work to hold them accountable for the suffering they cause.”