In largely symbolic move, U.S. sanctions Hezbollah's Nasrallah
Source: Reuters
(Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the leader of the Lebanese militant group and political movement Hezbollah on Thursday for helping Syria crush anti-government protests, as well as two other members for the group's "terrorist activities" in general.
Sanctions experts described the move against Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as largely symbolic because the penalties - freezing any assets he holds in U.S. banks - had been imposed under earlier U.S. sanctions.
The Treasury said it had "designated" Nasrallah under U.S. Executive Order 13582, signed by President Barack Obama in August 2011 in part to crack down on those helping Syria repress the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
More than 27,000 people are believed to have died in the 17-month-old conflict.
Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/13/uk-syria-usa-hezbollah-idUKBRE88C1DF20120913
