<p>One of the four major branches of Syria's security forces, the Syrian Political Security Directorate, was designated for engaging in the commission of human rights abuses in Syria.<br /><br />The chief and deputy chief of Iran's national police and the head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence were also sanctioned according to an announcement by the Department of Treasury.<br /><br />"Today's action builds on the Administration's efforts to pressure Assad and his regime to end the use of wanton violence and begin transitioning to a system that ensures the universal rights of the Syrian people," said the Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen.<br /><br />"Also today we are exposing further Iran's provision of its military and security forces to support the Syrian government's ongoing violence and repression of the Syrian people," he said.<br /><br />The Syrian Political Security Directorate is subordinate to the Ministry of Interior and one of four major branches of Syria's security forces and was slapped with sanctions.<br />Also designated today were Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the chief of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), and Ahmad-Reza Radan, the deputy chief of Iran's LEF.<br />The State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said the ruling Syrian regime needs to do a lot more, including allowing peaceful protests.<br /><br />"The baseline here is allowing peaceful protestors to demonstrate and not firing on innocent protestors and just to cease all violence against these demonstrators," he said.<br />"I don't think anybody's getting too enthusiastic about these initial steps, but just to say that these are the types of things that need to happen.<br /><br />You need to have the opposition be able to meet and have space to organize itself," he said in response to a question.</p>
<p>One of the four major branches of Syria's security forces, the Syrian Political Security Directorate, was designated for engaging in the commission of human rights abuses in Syria.<br /><br />The chief and deputy chief of Iran's national police and the head of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence were also sanctioned according to an announcement by the Department of Treasury.<br /><br />"Today's action builds on the Administration's efforts to pressure Assad and his regime to end the use of wanton violence and begin transitioning to a system that ensures the universal rights of the Syrian people," said the Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S Cohen.<br /><br />"Also today we are exposing further Iran's provision of its military and security forces to support the Syrian government's ongoing violence and repression of the Syrian people," he said.<br /><br />The Syrian Political Security Directorate is subordinate to the Ministry of Interior and one of four major branches of Syria's security forces and was slapped with sanctions.<br />Also designated today were Ismail Ahmadi Moghadam, the chief of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), and Ahmad-Reza Radan, the deputy chief of Iran's LEF.<br />The State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said the ruling Syrian regime needs to do a lot more, including allowing peaceful protests.<br /><br />"The baseline here is allowing peaceful protestors to demonstrate and not firing on innocent protestors and just to cease all violence against these demonstrators," he said.<br />"I don't think anybody's getting too enthusiastic about these initial steps, but just to say that these are the types of things that need to happen.<br /><br />You need to have the opposition be able to meet and have space to organize itself," he said in response to a question.</p>