Syrian forces kill 62, U.S. toughens sanctions

Maher al-Assad

AMMAN, (Reuters) – Security forces killed more than  60 people across Syria yesterday during demonstrations demanding  the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, and the United States  imposed new sanctions on key figures.

Maher al-Assad

A medical source told Reuters soldiers in Deraa killed 19  people when they fired on thousands of protesters descending  from nearby villages in a show of solidarity with the southern  city where Syria’s uprising broke out six weeks ago.

Syrian human rights group Sawasiah said it had the names of  a total of 62 people killed during protests in Deraa, Rustun,  Latakia, Homs and the town of Qadam, near Damascus. The Syrian  Observatory for Human Rights gave a similar death toll.

Yesterday’s bloodshed occurred as demonstrators across the  country again defied heavy military deployments, mass arrests  and a ruthless crackdown on the biggest popular challenge to 48  years of authoritarian Baath Party rule.

U.S. President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions against  Syrian figures, including a brother of Assad in charge of troops  in Deraa, the first diplomatic reprisal for Syria’s violent  crackdown.

Obama signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the  intelligence agency, Assad’s cousin Atif Najib and his brother  Maher, who commands the army division which stormed into Deraa  on Monday.

Shortly after Obama’s move, European Union diplomats said  they had reached preliminary agreement to impose an arms embargo  on Syria and would consider other restrictive measures.

Obama’s sanctions, which include asset freezes and bans on  U.S. business dealings, build on U.S. measures against Syria in  place since 2004, but they may have little impact since Assad’s  inner circle are thought to hold few U.S. assets.

One official said the White House was “not ready” to call on  Assad to step down because Obama and his aides “do not want to  get out in front of the Syrian people”.

But thousands of Syrians took to the streets across the  country after Friday prayers demanding his removal and pledging  support for the residents of Deraa.

“The people want the overthrow of the regime!” demonstrators  chanted in many protests, witnesses said.

More demonstrations flared in the central cities of Homs and  Hama, Banias on the Mediterranean coast, Qamishly in eastern  Syria and Harasta, a Damascus suburb.

Damascus saw the biggest protest in the capital so far, with  a crowd swelling to 10,000 as it marched towards the main  Ummayad Square before being dispersed by security forces firing  tear gas, rights campaigners said.

Syrian rights group Sawasiah said this week at least 500  civilians had been killed since the unrest broke out six weeks  ago. Authorities dispute that, saying 78 security forces and 70  civilians died in violence they blame on armed groups.

DERAA SHOOTING

State news agency SANA blamed “armed terrorist groups” for  killing eight soldiers near Deraa. It said groups had opened  fire on the homes of soldiers in two towns near Deraa and were  repelled by guards. SANA said security forces detained 156  members of the group and confiscated 50 motorbikes.

But a witness in Deraa said Syrian forces fired live rounds  at thousands of villagers who descended on the besieged city.

“They shot at people at the western gate of Deraa in the  Yadoda area, almost three km (two miles) from the centre of the  city,” he said.

A rights campaigner in Deraa said on Friday makeshift  morgues in the city contained the bodies of 85 people he said  had been killed since the army stormed the city, close to  Syria’s southern border with Jordan, on Monday.

Assad’s violent repression has brought growing condemnation  from Western countries which for several years had sought to  engage Damascus and loosen its close anti-Israel alliances with  Iran and the militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas.

The top United Nations human rights body condemned Syria for  using deadly force against peaceful protesters and launched an  investigation into killings and other alleged crimes.

A U.S. official said yesterday’s sanctions were meant to show  that no member of the Syrian leadership was immune from being  held accountable. “Bashar is very much on our radar and if this  continues could be soon to follow,” the official said.

The new sanctions also target the General Intelligence  Directorate and its director, Ali Mamluk. The spy agency is  accused by U.S. officials of repressing dissent and of  involvement in the killing of protesters in Deraa.