Tuesday, May 15, 2012
(From THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
By Laurence Norman
BRUSSELS -- European Union foreign ministers imposed new sanctions on Syria on Monday, citing continued violence there, while some officials expressed frustration with the time it was taking United Nations mission leader Kofi Annan to establish a cease-fire.
The foreign ministers said the cease-fire plan wasn't an "open-ended" offer, indicating their patience with Syria's leaders was starting to wear thin.
A European diplomat said the new sanctions included a travel ban and asset freeze on three people and two entities linked to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The measures will be detailed on Tuesday.
Mr. Annan, the former U.N. secretary-general, this year was named to lead a joint cease-fire mission with the Arab League and has been negotiating with the Syrian regime for several months.
Earlier, the EU's foreign-policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said "the continuing violence is appalling," and that the EU will continue to support Mr. Annan "for as long as he wishes to continue" the effort.
However, others were more concerned about the mission's progress.
Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said it was time to reopen the debate about a humanitarian corridor into Syria with some military presence.
Monday's comments come after what seemed to be the fiercest fighting yet between rebel fighters and government forces since the cease-fire nominally took effect a month ago.
Meanwhile, the uprising in Syria fueled clashes in neighboring Lebanon for a third day on Monday, with gunmen firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades as sectarian tensions spilled across the border, the Associated Press reported.
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Nour Malas in Dubai contributed to this article.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
15-05-12 0353GMT
