Three Syrian army generals named over Ghouta chemical attack

The New Arab has published the names and details of the ten Syrian regime officials who were placed on the European Council's sanctions list yesterday.

Analysis

3 min read

Robert Cusack

28 October, 2016

The US believes Syria is one of the world's largest stock-pilers of chemical weapons[Pacific Press]

The European Council has accused three high-ranking Syrian army officers of allegedly organising chemical weapons attacks on civilians in its updated list of sanctions.

According to the updated list on the EU's official journal, a total of ten senior Syrian officials have been added to the list for their involvement with the Assad regime.

Among them were Adnan Aboud Hilweh, Jawdat Salbi Mawas and Tahir Hamid Khalil all named on the list for having allegedly launched chemical weapons attacks against civilians.

Hilweh is accused of "violent repression against the civilian population" as Brigadier General of the 155 and 157 brigades and of using chemical weapons against civilians in 2013.

The list also accuses Mawas, a senior Syrian artillery officer, and Khalil, the head of the Syrian artillery and missiles directorate of alleged missile and chemical attacks against civilians in Ghouta in 2013.

Other prominent names on the list include four provincial governors, a leader of a pro-regime militia and the deputy director of Syria's feared intelligence service - the Mukhabarat.

The names and details of those with sanctions against them can be found below:

Name	Title / Position	Reason for Sanctions
Adib Salameh	Deputy Director of Air Force Intelligence Directorate in Damascus (Mukhabarat)	"Responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, through the planning of and involvement in military assaults in Aleppo and authority over the arrest and detention of civilians."
Adnan Aboud Hilweh	Brigadier General of 155 Brigade and 157 Brigade in the Syrian Army	"Responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, including through his responsibility for the deployment and use of missile and chemical weapons in civilian areas in 2013 and involvement in the large scale detentions."
Jawdat Salbi Mawas	Major General in the Syrian Artillery and Missile Directorate of the Syrian Armed Forces	"Responsible for violent repression against the civilian population, including the use of missiles and chemical weapons by Brigades under his command in highly populated civilian areas in 2013 in Ghouta."
Tahir Hamid Khalil	Head of the Syrian Artillery and Missiles Directorate of the Syrian Armed Forces	"Responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population, including the deployment of missiles and chemical weapons by Brigades under his command in highly populated civilian areas in Ghouta in 2013."
Hilal Hilal	Member of the Baath Party Militia	"Supports the regime through his role in the recruitment and organisation of the Baath Party militia."
Ammar Al-Sharif	Leading Syrian businessman.	Founding partner of Byblos Bank Syria, major shareholder in Unlimited Hospitality Ltd, and board member of the Solidarity Alliance Insurance Company and the Al-Aqueelah Takaful Insurance Company.
Bishr al-Sabban	Governor of Damascus	"Responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria, including engaging in discriminatory practices against Sunni communities within the capital."
Ahmad Sheik Abdul-Qader	Governor of Quneitra. Previously Governor of Latakia.	"Supports and benefits from the regime, including by public support for the Syrian Armed Forces and pro-regime militia."
Dr Ghassan Omar Khalaf	Governor of Hama	"Closely associated with members of a regime-affiliated militia in Hama known as the Hama Brigade."
Khayr al-Din al-Sayyed	Governor of Idlib	"Associated with the regime's Minister of Awqaf, Dr Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed, who is his brother."