Treasury Sanctions Syrian Regime Officials and Supporters

_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](http://www.tempbank.ru/)

E-mail Address:          [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

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