What the United States Can Do to Tighten Financial Sanctions on the Assad Regime and its Enablers

The United States and the European Union already have in place stiff financial sanctions against Syria. However, these restrictions on lending to or conducting financial transfers on behalf of the Syrian Central Bank and other Syrian entities are being circumvented by banks based in Russia and other countries, banks that in turn have corresponding accounts in U.S. and European countries and borrow in Western capital markets.