WASHINGTON – The Obama administration has added four Syrian government ministers to a U.S. terror blacklist as well as the leader of an al-Qaida-linked organization fighting President Bashar Assad’s regime.
Thursday’s actions highlight America’s twin goals in Syria: It wants the Assad regime to end but doesn’t want extremists taking power.
The Treasury Department targeted the defence, health, industry and justice ministers in Assad’s government, plus a Syrian TV station and its national airline. Assets they have in the U.S. are blocked; Americans are prohibited from doing business with them.
Meanwhile, the State Department designated Jabhat al-Nusra leader Muhammad al-Jawlani as a “global terrorist,” subjecting him to similar sanctions.
It said al-Jawlani aims to create an Islamist state in Syria, and it blamed him for terrorist attacks on civilians.
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