For Immediate Release: March 15, 2013<\/p>\n
Click here to read the report<\/a><\/p>\n Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today marks two years since the start of the Syrian uprising that has claimed nearly 70,000 lives, caused over one millions refugees to flee the country and sparked an international debate about how the world should respond to ongoing atrocities. Human Rights First notes that the conflict in Syria is a human rights catastrophe perpetuated by a complex network of supply chains that have supported the Assad regime. To shed light on these actors, Human Rights First today released a new interactive online site<\/a> and accompanying report<\/a>, The Enablers of the Syrian Conflict: How Targeting Third Parties Can Slow the Atrocities in Syria<\/a>, detailing the countries and commercial entities that are enabling Syrian President Bashir Assad’s crackdown. The group also offers specific recommendations for how the United States can disrupt these supply chains.<\/p>\n “For two years, countries and commercial entities have successfully provided the Assad regime with the munitions, supplies and money they need to sustain their brutal campaign,” said Human Rights First’s Sadia Hameed. “This report provides clear steps the United States and other nations can take to successfully cut off these supply chains and hold enablers of the Syrian atrocity accountable for their actions. As the U.S. government considers its options in response to the Syrian crisis, it should use this roadmap to stem the bloodshed there by choking the flow of arms, resources, and money flowing to President Bashar al-Assad.”<\/p>\n Today’s report<\/a> and the interactive website<\/a> that accompanies it is the most comprehensive look to date at the Syrian regime’s complex network of third party “enablers.” These actors either knowingly or inadvertently support their ongoing crimes and include:<\/p>\n\n