Canada toughens sanctions against Syrian regime

Canada is extendig sanctions against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad as Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced on Friday that Canada is adding another 50 names to the list of individuals and entities subject to a ban on business dealings by Canadians to put more pressure on Assad. “The Assad regime’s bloody assault on the people of Syria continues unabated. To date, more than 20,000 have been killed, and more than 180,000 have fled to neighbouring countries. The entire region is becoming increasingly unstable,” Baird was quoted by Canadian CBS news. “Canada is responding today with additional measures to further isolate and increase pressure on the regime and to erode its capacity for repression,” he said. Forty-seven individuals and three entities have been added to the existing sanction list and Baird said the sanctions target Assad and his supporters, not the Syrian people. He said Canada wants the UN Security Council to adopt binding sanctions against Syria to show that the international community believes Assad “must go.” He also said that countries on the Security Council that have so far blocked action on Syria should join in the condemnation of Assad’s actions.