(Archived Content)
Action Targets Senior Syrian Officials, a Russian Bank, its Chairman, and Oil Refineries Owned by the Government of Syria
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today took a number of actions to increase pressure on the Syrian regime and its supporters. The Treasury Department designated Moscow-based Tempbank and Mikhail Gagloev, a senior executive of the bank, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13582 for providing material support and services to the Government of Syria, including the Central Bank of Syria and SYTROL, Syria’s state oil marketing firm.
In addition, the Treasury Department designated six senior officials of the Syrian Government pursuant to E.O. 13573, including Brigadier General Bassam Al-Hassan, an advisor to President Bashar Al-Assad. Al-Hassan has a number of duties within the Syrian Government, including acting as the Syrian Presidential Representative to Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), which is the government agency responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons and missiles.
Finally, the Treasury Department has identified the Banias Refinery Company and the Homs Refinery Company as part of the Government of Syria pursuant to E.O. 13582.
“Today’s designation builds on Treasury’s ongoing efforts to apply economic pressure on the Syrian Government by choking off access to the international financial system,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. “We are committed to deterring those who contribute to violence and instability in Syria, and will continue to aggressively target individuals and entities supporting the Assad regime.”
Temp
bank has provided millions of dollars in cash and facilitated financial services to the Syrian regime. In one instance, Tempbank arranged to deliver millions of dollars in cash to Vnukovo Airport in Moscow for pick-up by cash couriers working for the Central Bank of Syria. In addition to its close cooperation with the Central Bank of Syria, Tempbank has facilitated deals and provided financial services to SYTROL, a Syrian state oil company sanctioned by the United States and the European Union. Mikhail Gagloev, Chairman of Tempbank’s Management Committee, was also designated today for acting for or on behalf of Tempbank. Gagloev has personally travelled to Damascus to make deals with the Syrian regime on behalf of Tempbank.
U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the individuals and entities identified today, and any assets of those persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. To date, the United States has imposed sanctions on nearly 200 individuals and entities since the onset of unrest in Syria, including the Government of Syria, its Central Bank, and affiliated oil companies.
Background on Designated Individuals Pursuant to E.O. 13573
Bassam Al-Hassan
Brigadier General Bassam Al-Hassan is a commander of the Syrian Republican Guard and is also President Assad’s Advisor for Strategic Affairs. As an advisor to Assad, Al-Hassan is involved in weapons procurement for the Syrian military and meets with foreign government representatives. Additionally, Al-Hassan is the Syrian Presidential Representative to the SSRC.
Established in 1971, SSRC operates Syria’s main sites for the production and storage of chemical weapons as well as surface-to-surface missiles. The SSRC was listed in the Annex to E.O. 13382 of June 28, 2005 for its ties to Syria’s weapons of mass destruction proliferation activities and also sanctioned by the U.S. Department of State in May 2011, pursuant to the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act.
Huss
ein Arnous
Arnous is currently the Syrian Minister of Public Works and formerly served as governor of two Syrian provinces.
Ahm
ad Al-Q
adri
Al-Qadri is currently the Syrian Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and previously served as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Is
mael Ismael
Ismael is the Syrian Minister of Finance and previously served as Head of the Syrian General Establishment for Cereal Processing and Trade.
Kin
da Al-S
hammat
Al-Shammat is the Minister of Social Affairs and previously served as Syrian Representative to the United Nations Development Fund.
Hassan Hijazi
Hijazi is the Minister of Labor and previously served as the Assistant Minister of Social Affairs and Labor.
Identifying Information:
Name: TEMPBANK
AKA: MAB TEMPBANK OAO
AKA: OTKRYTOE AKTSIONERNOE OBSHCHESTVO MOSKOVSKI AKTSIONERNY BANK TEMPBANK
AKA: MOSCOW JOINT-STOK BANK TEMPBANK OPEN JOINT-STOCK COMPANY
Address: 36/50 Lyusinovskaya ul., Moscow, Russia, 115093
Website: http://www.tempbank.ru
E-mail Address: info@tempbank.ru
SWIFT/BIC: TMJSRUMM
Registration ID: 1027739270294
Name: GAGLOEV, MIKHAIL GEORGIEVICH
AKA: GAGLOYEV, MIKHAIL GEORGIYEVICH
DOB: February 17, 1966
Citizenship: Russia
Title: Chairman of Management Committee of Tempbank
Name: AL-HASSAN, BASSAM
DOB: 1961
Alt. DOB: 1960
Alt. DOB: 1962
POB: Homs, Syria
Title: Brigadier General and Syrian Presidential Advisor
Name: AL-QADRI, AHMAD
DOB: 1956
POB: Hasaka, Syria
Title: Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform
Name: AL-SHAMMAT, KINDA
DOB: 1973
POB: Damascus, Syria
Title: Minister of Social Affairs
Name: ARNOUS, HUSSEIN
DOB: 1953
POB: Idleb, Syria
Title: Minister of Public Works
Name: HIJAZI, HASSAN
DOB: 1964
POB: Quneitra, Syria
Title: Minister of Labor
Name: ISMAEL, ISMAEL
DOB: 1955
Title: Minister of Finance
Name: BANIAS REFINERY COMPANY
Address: Banias Refinery Building, 26 Latkia Main Road, Baniyas, Tartous Syria
Alt. Address: Banias Refinery Building, Latkia Main Road, Banias Industrial Area, Banias, Tartous Syria
Alt. Address: Postal Box 26, Tartous Syria
Alt. Address: P.O. Box 26, Banias, Syria
Name: HOMS REFINERY COMPANY
AKA: GENERAL COMPANY FOR HOMS REFINERY
Address: General Company for Homs Refinery Building, 352 Tripoli Street, Homs, Syria
Alt. Address: P.O. Box 352, Trablus (Tripoli) Street, Homs, Syria
Alt. Address: Postal Box 352, Homs, Syria
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