Assad’s brother, cousin, spy chief, head EU sanctions list on Syria, as protests mount

The European Union said Tuesday that it had placed Maher al-Assad, brother of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, at the top of a list of 13 Syrian officials whom it had sanctioned.

That means Mr. Maher’s assets—and those of the other officials on the list—in the 27 countries belonging to the EU would be immediately frozen. His assets have also been frozen by the United States as part of a West-led initiative to apply more pressure on the Assad regime to end violence against pro-democracy protesters.

Hundreds of everyday Syrians have been killed by Mr. Assad’s forces in the last few weeks, and some 8,000 protesters have been arrested or are reported missing by their families.

EU governments decided not to target the president for now, in what diplomats said was a bid to introduce punitive measures gradually. But President Assad, grappling with the most serious challenge to his rule, could face EU sanctions soon, they said, according to Reuters.

Included was Rami Makhlouf, a cousin of Assad, who owns Syria's largest mobile phone company, Syriatel, and several large firms in the construction and oil sectors.

Also affected is Ali Mamlouk, head of the General Intelligence Service, and Adulfattah Qudsiyeh, who runs military intelligence.

Maher al-Assad has led the military campaign against unarmed protesters. He is the head of Syria’s elite Republican Guard.

Meanwhile, Syria’s opposition called for a mass demonstrations across the country in what it dubbed as the “Tuesday of Victory,” as the government claimed that the uprising was under control. Security forces arrested hundreds of activists and anti-government protesters in house-to-house raids across the country.

“I hope we are witnessing the end of the story,” Bouthaina Shaaban, an adviser to President Assad who often serves as a spokeswoman, told The New York Times in a rare interview on Monday.

“I think now we’ve passed the most dangerous moment. I hope so, I think so,” Ms. Shaaban said giving a glimpse of the mindset of a 40-year-old regime that has barred most foreign journalists from Syria since the beginning of the uprising.

“We want to use what happened to Syria as an opportunity,” Ms. Shaaban added. “We see it as an opportunity to try to move forward on many levels, especially the political level.”

The Times reporter, Anthony Shadid, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, was allowed in the country for a few hours, the report said. Mr. Shahid is based in Beirut for The Times.

Syrian security forces rounded up thousands of men as they went house-to-house in a bid to crush the anti-regime protest movement in the coastal city of Banias on Monday, as shots rang out in a Damascus suburb surrounded by troops, Agence-France Presse quoted activists as saying.

Ms. Shabaan told the Times: “You can't be very nice to people who are leading an armed rebellion, in a sense.”

She has held talks with some activists, but it is far from clear how much influence Ms. Shabaan has in the Assad administration. The tough approach toward protestors has reportedly been led by the president’s brother, Maher al-Assad.

Rights groups say more than 600 people have been killed and 8,000 jailed or gone missing in the eight-week crackdown on protesters. The Committee of the Martyrs of the 15 March Revolution puts the death toll at 708, according to AFP.

Syrian officials and state-run media have tried to portray Banias as a hotbed of Islamic extremists to justify the crackdown there. The state news agency SANA said the army and security forces were pursuing fugitives in Banias and were able to arrest a large number of them and confiscate their weapons.

SANA released photos showing displays of weapons it said were seized, including shotguns, assault rifles, ammunition, clubs and knives.

A resident who fled Banias two days ago told The Associated Press Monday that among those detained were mosque imams, the head of the municipality and members of leading families in the city such as Khaddam, al-Masri and Sahyouni. He spoke condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals.

In an indication that the regime shows no sign of folding, Mr. Assad was quoted as saying in comments published Monday that “the current crisis in Syria will be overcome and that the process of administrative, political and media reforms are continuing.” The report, in the private daily al-Watan, which is close to the government, did not elaborate but said President Assad made the comments while receiving a local delegation Sunday.

The sanctions announced by the EU on Tuesday aimed to achieve an immediate change of policy by the Syrian leadership, ending violence and swiftly introducing “genuine and comprehensive political reform,” Catherine Ashton of the EU said.

“Failing that, the EU will consider extending the restrictive measures in light of the developments, including at the highest level of leadership,” the foreign policy chief said.

The EU urges Assad to choose the path of reform and national inclusive dialogue and avoid further bloodshed, she said, adding that EU foreign ministers would consider the situation in Syria at a meeting later this month.

Mr. Assad, 46, who inherited power from his father in 2000, has blamed “armed thugs” and foreigners for the unrest across the country of 23 million people. The regime has hit back at protesters with large-scale military operations, including an 11-day siege in Deraa that killed about 50 residents.

A UN spokesman, meanwhile, said Syria has not granted a humanitarian mission access to the southern city of Deraa.

“The (UN) humanitarian assessment mission has not been able to get into Deraa,” spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters. “We’re trying to clarify why it hasn't had access, and we’re also trying to get access to other areas of Syria,” he said, according to Reuters.

Asked if the UN felt that Syria had reneged on a prior agreement to allow it into Deraa, Mr. Haq said: “We're trying to get the clarification as to why it hasn't gotten in. Let's see whether they can get in the coming days.”

(Abeer Tayel of Al Arabiya can be reached at: [email protected])