EU Agrees New Sanctions on Syria
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The European Union agreed Monday to slap new sanctions on the Syrian regime, banning luxury goods exports and further restricting the sale of items used to repress dissidents, a diplomat said.
"These sanctions will be put in place against Syria," the diplomat told AFP after EU ambassadors endorsed the measures ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
The extent of the luxury ban has yet to be defined but the aim is to deliver a symbolic blow against the posh lifestyle of President Bashar Assad and his glamorous British-born wife Asma, another diplomat said.
"The Assad couple, as well as his inner circle and leaders of the regime must be made to understand that events in Syria will also impact their personal lives," the source added.
Brussels also decided to expand the blacklist of dual-use goods which can be used for internal repression or for the manufacturing of equipment used for internal repression.
The 14th round of EU sanctions comes as violence continues in Syria despite the presence of U.N. truce observers in the country.
Russia at the weekend condemned the idea of new EU sanctions.
"Our position concerning such sanctions is well known," said foreign affairs ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich. "We judge them unacceptable from the point of view of international law."
The EU a month ago tightened the noose on Assad's family, slapping a travel ban and asset freeze on his wife, mother and sister in the 13th round of EU sanctions in a year.
His immediate family were among 12 people and two oil companies added to an existing EU blacklist totaling 126 people and 41 firms or utilities.
The U.N. says well over 9,000 Syrians have been killed since democracy protests erupted in March 2011, while monitors put the figure at more than 11,000.
23 April 2012, 13:24
14
during the lebanese war syia economic profits skyrocketed , now its our turn
hope every country that contributed in the lebanese war in a way or another to have the same war
24 April 2012, 06:02
01
By the same logic, we should have another civil war due to all the lebanese who participated in it? Or perhaps australia should send a bunch of australian rapists to lebanon to get revenge for all the rapes comitted by lebanese expats there? And africa should send thiefs that steal our natural resources as lebanese have done in africa, sweden should send murderers to get revenge for the swedes killed by lebanese thugs in sweden, the US should send a christian fanatic to get revenge for the thousands killed on 9/11 (one hijacker was lebanese). Lebanese are responsible for murder, rape, drug dealing, human traficking, prostitutuon, theft, robbery ane many other evils all around the world. In almost every country you will find a lebanese maffia comitting the worst of crimes, yet you want syria to have a civil war as if syria or anyone else forced us to hate each other or harm each other, something we have been doing for ages long before independence!
23 April 2012, 17:29
11
Very silly stuff. "Banning luxury goods exports" to a Middle Eastern country. The place were smuggling was invented? This is not even a mosquito bite on the neck of this murderous regime. It is less than laughable. Assad will give up his regime because his wife cannot get Channel #5???
Assad is a little murderous man (with a long neck). But this makes his adversaries look even smaller.
