Syrian ex-prime minister removed from sanction list

The United States on Tuesday removed Syria's former prime minister Riad Hijab from its list of sanctioned individuals after the premier defected from the regime, dpa reported. He had been under sanctions since last month as part of the Syrian regime. The US Treasury Department said its sanctions were designed to be flexible and to reflect the situation on the ground, prompting his removal from the list. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Hijab was removed from sanctions because he is "no longer a member of the regime that is perpetrating this violence. He is no longer part of the crew that the sanctions were targeted against." "This designation in the first place was part of our larger sanctions policy vis-a-vis Syria, which is designed to squeeze the regime individually, collectively, and dry up the money that it uses to perpetrate its crimes," she said. "So when you have individuals who have broken with the regime, they should no longer be subject to those sanctions."