Syrian forces kill 62, U.S. tightens sanctions

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Syrian forces kill 62, U.S. tightens sanctions

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Suleiman al-Khalidi

AMMAN | Fri Apr 29, 2011 11:16pm EDT

AMMAN (Reuters) - The United States imposed new sanctions on key Syrian

government figures after security forces killed more than 60 people across Syria

during demonstrations demanding the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

A medical source told Reuters that soldiers in Deraa killed 19 people on Friday

when they fired on thousands of protesters descending from nearby villages in a

show of solidarity with the southern city where Syria's uprising broke out six

weeks ago.

Syrian human rights group Sawasiah said it had the names of a total of 62 people

killed during protests in Deraa, Rustun, Latakia, Homs and the town of Qadam,

near Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a similar death

toll.

Friday's bloodshed came after demonstrators across the country again defied

heavy military deployments, mass arrests and a ruthless crackdown on the biggest

popular challenge to 48 years of authoritarian Baath Party rule.

President Barack Obama imposed new sanctions against Syrian figures, including a

brother of Assad in charge of troops in Deraa, the first reprisal for Syria's

violent crackdown.

Obama signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the intelligence agency,

Assad's cousin Atif Najib and his brother Maher, who commands the army division

which stormed into Deraa on Monday. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard was also

targeted, accused of helping the Syrian crackdown.

" The sanctions that were announced today are intended to show the Syrian

government that its behavior and actions are going to be held to account, " U.S.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters.

Shortly after Obama's move, European Union diplomats said they had reached

preliminary agreement to impose an arms embargo on Syria and would " urgently

consider further appropriate and targeted measures. " These, diplomats said, were

understood to mean measures against individuals.