Assad and his inner circle stand to reap financial gains that can be used to shore up their support base. Read more at straitstimes.com.
last month, President Bashar Assad did not declare a state of emergency nor a day of mourning for the victims. It was days before he visited the stricken areas.The United States initially pushed back, insisting that the sanctions did not inhibit humanitarian aid. But then Washington about-faced, easing banking restrictions for six months to allow earthquake relief to flow freely to Syria. And Europe followed suit.
“This allows transactions to the government of Syria, and as long as it says ‘earthquake relief,’ you’re good to go, apparently,” he added. “That’s extraordinary for a regime with this track record.” The State Department said the Treasury Department had tools to prevent abuse of the sanctions relief, but did not explain what they were, and the Treasury Department did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Many banks have refused to process financial transactions with Syria for fear of running afoul of the sanctions, even though they are subject to the exemptions. Since the disaster struck, money and humanitarian aid loaded onto planes and trucks have flowed into the government-controlled parts of Syria.
Two Syrians involved in the distribution of aid in government territory told The New York Times that, in the few weeks since the earthquake struck, they had already witnessed the government diverting aid.
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