WASHINGTON — The United States has cited the regime
of Syrian President Bashar Assad, for supporting the export of weapons of mass
destruction.
The Treasury Department has sanctioned three Syrian institutions
determined to have helped proliferate WMD. The department said that the
entities facilitated Syria's biological and chemical weapons programs, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Syria is using official government organizations to develop
nonconventional weapons and the missiles to deliver them," Treasury
Undersecretary Stuart Levey said. "We will continue to take action to
prevent such state-sponsored WMD proliferators from using the international
financial system."
In a statement on Thursday, Treasury identified the sanctioned Syrian
entities as the Higher Institute of Applied Science and Technology,
Electronics Institute, and the National Standards and Calibration
Laboratory. Officials said Treasury, under an executive order, would freeze
any assets of the entities in the United States. They said they were not
certain whether the institutions held significant assets abroad.
The three Syrian institutions were described as subsidiaries of the
state-owned Scientific Studies and Research Center. The center, said to be
responsible for Syria's biological and chemical weapons program, was
sanctioned in 2005.
"SSRC is the Syrian government agency responsible for developing and
producing non-conventional weapons and the missiles to deliver them,"
Treasury said. "SSRC also has an overtly promoted civilian research
function; however, its activities focus substantively on the development of
biological and chemical weapons."
Treasury said the Electronics Institute has been responsible for
missile-related research and development in Syria. The Higher Institute was
identified as a Syrian educational institution that trains SSRC engineers.
The CIA has determined that Syria installed chemical warheads on a range
of missiles, including the Scud C and D missiles. The agency said Damascus
has also sought to weaponize biological agents.
Officials said the three entities have been exporting WMD components,
training and technology. They said the entities maintained links with Iran,
Libya, Sudan and Yemen.
This was the second set of U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria's WMD-related
facilities since 2005. The sanctions also ban Americans from doing business
with the Syrian entities.
