U.S. Blacklists Syrian Central Banker, 'Front Companies'

The U.S. Treasury placed a senior Syrian central banker and three alleged front companies for an arms agency on its sanctions blacklist Tuesday, stepping up pressure on the Assad government.

The Treasury said Batoul Rida, an official at the Central Bank of Syria since 2010, has helped organize cash transfers with the already-sanctioned Tempbank.

It said she is also involved in fuel deals for the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, working closely with CBoS Governor Adib Myaleh, already on the sanctions list. Her actions provide support to the government "that enable its military campaign against the Syrian people," the department said in a statement.

Three companies, meanwhile, were placed on the blacklist for acting for or on behalf of the Syrian arms agency, the Scientific Studies and Research Center: Lebanon-based Shadi for Cars Trading and Denise Company, and Syria-based Sigma Tech Company.

Meanwhile the Treasury said that CBoS chief Myaleh had taken a new alias, Andre Mayard, which was being added to the blacklist.

Americans and U.S. entities are forbidden to do business with anyone on the sanctions blacklist, and any assets they have in the United States are frozen.

The Treasury said the new sanctions aimed "to further increase pressure on the Assad regime and to inhibit its weapons programs, consistent with the United States' objective of advancing a negotiated political transition in Syria."