Washington, U.S. (PRWEB) July 21, 2012
The American Syrian Coalition (ASC) would like to the thank the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for its prompt response in dealing with the spy Mohamad Anas Haitham Soueid. Soueid, a resident of Leesburg, Virginia, was sentenced on July 20, 2012 to 18 months in prison for collecting and sending information and recordings of individuals in the United States and Syria who have been organizing peaceful protests against the oppressive Syrian government.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/syrian-agent-working-in-us-gets-18-months-admits-spying-on-dissidents-during-arab-spring/2012/07/20/gJQAy0g4xW_story.html
This sentencing takes place 16 months into a conflict that has taken the lives of more than 17,000 Syrians at the hands of the Assad regime. According to Neil McBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, “Mr. Soueid betrayed this country to work on behalf of a state sponsor of terror. While the autocratic Syrian regime killed, kidnapped, intimidated, and silenced thousands of its own citizens, Mr. Soueid spearheaded efforts to identify and intimidate those protesting against the Syrian government in the United States.” Soueid has placed his fellow American and Syrian citizens in harm’s way and we thank the FBI for detaining him for the sake of the preservation of Syrian-American lives and the democratic movement in Syria. We welcome any information on any similar occurrences and we extend our support to ensure the safety of American and Syrian people.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/syria-crisis-death-toll-17000_n_1658708.html
The ASC was formed in April of 2012 to coordinate the efforts of various Syrian-American groups. The coalition’s members are: the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), the Syrian American Council (SAC), United for a Free Syria and the Syrian Expatriates Organization.