Bush extends US sanctions against Syria

Bush extends US sanctions against Syria

Tue May 9, 9:21 AM ET

US President George W. Bush extended a ban on US exports of certain items, including military equipment, to Syria, and continued freezing the accounts of Syrians supporting terrorist organizations.

The executive order extends for one year sanctions first issued on May 11, 2004, and broadened in April.

In a statement Bush says he took the measure because of the threat posed by the Syrian government "in supporting terrorism, interfering in Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining United States and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq."

The Syrian government continues "to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," read statement from the president, who is currently traveling in Florida.

The executive order was broadened in April to include Syrians linked to the February 2005 assassination of the former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and other attacks in Lebanon.