Damascus criticizes US decision to freeze assets of Kanaan, Ghazaleh
Syria-USA, Politics, 7/1/2005

Syria on Thursday criticized the decision taken by the USA to freeze the assets of its minister of the interior Ghazi Kanaan, and Rustoum Ghazaleh, the former security and reconnaissance chairman to Lebanon, considering that this decision is an escalation against Syria and a diversion from the Israeli aggression against south Lebanon.

A Syrian media source said that the decision by the American treasury department to freeze the assets of Kanaan and Ghazaleh "aims at diverting the sights off Israel's aggression against Lebanon." The Syrian official News Agency SANA stated what was said by the official Syrian source that Syria regrets the policy the US purses in international relations and considers the announcement made by the US treasury department as a diversion from the Israeli aggression against south Lebanon and an escalation of the media and political pressures on Syria, noting that this is categorically rejected by Syria.

The Syria media source also criticized freezing the assets of Syrian companies including the scientific and research studies, adding that "Syria asked its ambassador in the USA to get clarifications from the US Department Of State on that issue." The US treasury department announced in a statement on Thursday it froze the assets of the Syrian minister of the interior Ghazi Kanaan and former chairman of the Syrian security and reconnaissance department in Lebanon Rustoum Ghazaleh, and accused them of "helping terrorism." The department added that the taken decision states to freeze any assets the two men may have in the USA and to prevent any American from finalizing deals with the two persons.

The US treasury department accused both Ghazaleh and Kanaan in taking part in several corruption activities in Lebanon, noting that they made of several corrupt business deals during their stay in Lebanon. Kanaan served as Syrian military intelligence chief in Lebanon for approximately 20 years until 2002, when Ghazali succeeded him in the same capacity until Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon in April.

This step came following the US administration seezing the assets of 8 Syrian, Northern Korean and Iranian establishments and organizations accused of disseminating mass destruction weapons.

Washington has been persisting that Damascus still have intelligence members working in Lebanon to destabilize it. Washington also accuses Damascus of supporting armed groups opposing the peace process in the Middle East and also of permitting rebels of using its lands to launch attacks in Iraq.

Previous Stories:
  Paris, Washington intensified pressure on Damascus   (6/24/2005)
  Syria denies American accusations   (6/24/2005)
  Rice accuses Syria of destabilizing Lebanon, following the assassination of Hawi   (6/22/2005)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search