Great Britain welcomed US sanctions against individuals with connection to the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“Sanctions send a clear signal that actions have consequences and seek to deter others from a similar act of barbarism,” Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said in a statement Tuesday.
“We welcome the role sanctions play in increasing pressure on the Syrian regime to turn away from its military campaign.”
The US on Monday announced that it was imposing “sweeping sanctions” on some Assad regime chemical weapons experts and others in response to the chemical attack that killed nearly 100 civilians in the town of Khan Sheikoun in Idlib province on April 4.
The sanctions imposed by the Treasury Department will freeze the US assets of 271 employees of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC). It also ordered that American individuals and businesses be blocked from dealing with those officials.
“These sweeping sanctions target the scientific support center for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s horrific chemical weapons attack on innocent civilian men, women, and children,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.
In his comments, Johnson said that Britain “will continue efforts to hold accountable those responsible for chemical attacks, including through the UN and EU, and to energize international support for the UN-led political process. Only a political settlement will bring an end to the war in Syria.” (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
