U.S. blacklists 3 Syrian organizations over WMD charges

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (Xinhua)

The U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted on Thursday three Syrian government organizations accused by the United States of proliferating weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

"Syria is using official government organizations to develop non-conventional weapons and the missiles to deliver them," said Stuart Levey, Treasury Department's under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.

"We will continue to take action to prevent such state-sponsored WMD proliferators from using the international financial system," Levey said.

The three blacklisted government organizations are Syria's Higher Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Electronics Institute, and the National Standards and Calibration Laboratory.

Under U.S. laws, any U.S. assets belonging to the three Syrian organizations will be frozen and U.S. citizens are banned from conducting business transactions with them.

The United States has listed Syria as one of the "state sponsors of terrorism" and Syrian has been under U.S. sanctions.

Editor: Luan Shanglin

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