US Treasury Dept freezes Syrians' assets over support to Saddam regime

[Barrett808]

The US Treasury Department announced it was freezing the assets of a Damascus-based company and of two senior Syrian officials, accused of providing military equipment to the regime of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Using falsified documents, SES International Corp provided the Iraqi regime with military goods in contravention of UN sanctions, the Department said in a statement.

The company, owned by General Zuhayr Shalish and managed by Asif Shalish, posed as the final recipient of the military equipment, but in reality transshipped it to

Iraq as the final destination.

SES and the two men were designated by the Treasury Department under Executive Order 13315, aimed at blocking property of the former Iraqi regime, its officials and their families and intermediaries.

According to the Treasury Department, Saddam's oldest son Uday personally asked the two Syrians for help.

They also aided Iraqi former presidential secretary Abid Hamid Mlahmud al-Tikriti to flee Iraq after the US-led invasion in March 2003, according to the US Treasury.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050609/wl_mideast_afp/usiraqsyriaun

[Catma]

1. Well I guess we now know where our boys are headed next n/t

[jaxx]

5. Plus it makes dubya's patriot act look like it'll save us

from the terrorists. Is Syria a terrorist country, or just in the way? I bet dubya is kicking those cowboy boots high today......he gets off on being a badass.

[getmeouttahere]

2. What "boys"?

We can't even cover the Iraq & Afghan borders adequately! Good luck, Rummy/BushCo!

[woodsprite]

6. That would be the same boys

we're sending to Taiwan to protect it from China if they start anything.

[NorCalDem]

3. Should our assets be frozen too?

We provided weapons to Saddam, why aren't we sanctioning ourselves?

[NashVegas]

4. Haliburton: You're Next!

Well, um, maybe not.