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A30 world news
Diahuebs 29 Juli 2021

US sanctions hit Syria prisons, abusers including opposition

notorious, the Saydnaya mil- ments accuse Assad’s govern- has repeatedly endured mass
itary prison, located in the ment of most of the war’s displacement.
town of the same name north atrocities.
of the capital, Damascus. The other armed group
The previous administration is affiliated with the Syr-
The sanctions follow U.S. had focused most of its sanc- ian military, Saraya al-Areen.
enactment last summer of tions in Syria on businesses, The group has been fighting
legislation called the Cae- financial institutions and as- alongside government troops
sar Syria Civilian Protection sociates of Assad and his fam- in northwestern Idlib prov-
Act. The act is named after ily. ince, where the last opposi-
a Syrian military photogra- tion enclave is located. The
pher who leaked thousands Among those sanctioned by U.S. Treasury said the group
of photographs of thousands the U.S. Treasury is an op- was targeted for violating and
of victims of torture in pris- position armed group, Ahrar obstructing a cease-fire in
ons run by the Assad govern- al-Sharqiya, whose fighters place since 2020.
ment. are mostly from eastern Syr-
(AP) — The Biden ad- ia. Two of the group’s leaders “Today’s designations pro-
ministration announced “The United States is taking The U.S. Treasury said many were also sanctioned. mote accountability for
Wednesday its first sanc- action to promote account- of the prisons designated abuses committed against the
tions on Syria, targeting ability for entities and indi- Wednesday were specifically The group has been incrimi- Syrian people and deny rogue
prison facilities and of- viduals that have perpetuated highlighted in images pro- nated in the killing of a Syri- actors access to the interna-
ficials who run them, as the suffering of the Syrian vided by Caesar. It is not clear an Kurdish politician, Hevrin tional financial system,” said
well as armed groups, fo- people,” said U.S. Secretary how a Syrian prison may be Khalaf, in 2019. It is believed Director of the Office of For-
cusing on human rights of State Anthony Blinken. impacted by U.S. sanctions. to have incorporated many eign Assets Control Andrea
abuses. “Today’s action makes clear Islamic State group militants M. Gacki.
that the United States will In a groundbreaking report in into its ranks. It has also par-
The sanctions announced by not forget the victims of hu- 2017, Amnesty International ticipated in Turkey-backed Syria’s government has criti-
the U.S. Treasury are part of man rights abuses in Syria said Syrian authorities killed operations against Syr- cized the U.S. sanctions,
Washington’s policy to keep and will use appropriate tools at least 13,000 people in the ian Kurdish groups in north- blaming them for a worsen-
up pressure on the Syrian to target and single out those first five years of the coun- western Syria. ing economic crisis and call-
government led by longtime responsible, regardless of the try’s civil war in mass hang- ing them “crimes against hu-
President Bashar Assad. But perpetrator.” ings at Saydnaya. The rights The U.S. Treasury said Ah- manity.”
signaling a new approach, the group referred to the killings rar al-Sharqiya has commit-
administration also targeted The sanctions target eight as a “calculated campaign of ted numerous crimes against In power since 2000, Assad
two armed groups, widen- Syrian prisons, most of them extrajudicial execution.” civilians, particularly Syrian began a fourth term in of-
ing the net of those impacted linked to the powerful gen- Kurds. They include unlaw- fice earlier this month with
by the sanctions. One of the eral and military intelligence Rights groups estimate that ful killings, abductions, tor- the country still devastated
groups was implicated in vi- agencies, and the generals 130,000 Syrians are still miss- ture and seizures of private by the 10-year war and slid-
olating a cease-fire in place who administer them. They ing or detained. The U.S. property, compounding the ing deeper into a worsening
since 2020. include one of Syria’s most and many European govern- suffering of a population that economic crisis.

China-Taliban ties warming ahead of US withdrawal

(AP) — China’s foreign minister peace talks or at least reduce the level Russia to produce statements calling
met Wednesday with a delegation of violence as they gobble up territory The heads of the Taliban Religious on the Taliban to enter into a peace
of high-level Taliban officials as from Afghan government forces. Council and the Propaganda Com- deal.
ties between them warm ahead mittee were also on the trip.
of the U.S. pullout from Afghani- China and Afghanistan share a narrow Zalmay Khalilzad, Washington’s
stan. border high in the remote Wakhan The U.S. withdrawal from Afghani- point person in talks aimed at end-
Valley, and China has long been con- stan by Aug. 31 is seen as a boon to ing decades of war in Afghanistan,
A photo posted on the ministry’s cerned about a possible spillover of China, Washington’s chief strategic also made a brief visit to Pakistan ear-
website showed Wang Yi posing with Islamic militancy into its formerly competitor, which has long resented lier this month as relations between
senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul volatile Xinjiang region. China has the presence of U.S. troops in what it Islamabad and Kabul reached a new
Ghani Baradar and his delegation in also signed deals for oil, gas and cop- considers its own backyard. low.
the city of Tianjin, then sitting down per mining in Afghanistan, although
to talks. The highly conspicuous those have long been dormant. If the Taliban do topple the U.S.- That has fed perceptions that the U.S.
show of friendliness had the appear- backed central government, China is engaged in stepped-up efforts to
ance of a diplomatic mission at a time “The Taliban are a pivotal military could gain a strategic corridor allow- obtain a peace deal ahead of the Aug.
when the Taliban are craving legiti- and political force in Afghanistan and ing it and long-time ally Pakistan to 31 deadline that also includes China.
macy. are expected to play an important role bring further pressure against com-
in the in process of peace, reconcilia- mon rival India. After U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
Wang said China respects Afghan tion and reconstruction,” Wang said. Wendy Sherman met Wang in Tianjin
sovereign independence and territo- Baradar’s visit comes shortly after on Monday, she and the State Depart-
rial integrity and always adheres to China, Wang said, hopes the Taliban Pakistan’s foreign minister and in- ment included Afghanistan on the list
non-interference in Afghanistan’s in- will put the nation’s and the people’s telligence chief made their trips to of “areas of global interest” that the
ternal affairs. interests first and focus on peace talks, China. U.S. and China could cooperate on.
set peace goals, establish a “positive
He said the hasty withdrawal of the image” and work for unity among all Pakistan is seen as key to peace in Af-
U.S. and NATO “reveals the failure factions and ethnic groups. ghanistan. The Taliban leadership is
of America’s policies and offers the headquartered in Pakistan and Islam-
Afghan people an important oppor- Wang also said China hopes the Tal- abad has used its leverage, which it
tunity to stabilize and develop their iban will “deal resolutely” with the says is now waning, to press the Tal-
own country.” East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a iban to talk peace.
group China claims is leading a push
While no agenda was announced for for independence in Xinjiang, but While the Tianjin meeting could be
the meeting, China has an interest which many experts doubt even ex- seen as a snub at the U.S., Washing-
in pushing the Taliban to deliver on ists in any operational form. ton has been meeting with China and