Commander of Brigade 15 Condemns and Rejects the Decision of the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Management of the Website

Brigade 15, known as the “Free Eastern Brigade,” affiliated with the Movement for Liberation and Construction under the First Corps of the Syrian National Army, which is part of the Interim Government, issued a statement condemning the actions of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday, August 17, 2023, in accordance with Executive Order (EO) 13894. A copy of the mentioned statement was received by the Ninar Press newspaper, which is publishing it as received.

In the statement, it was mentioned that the faction’s leader, “Ahmed Ihsan Fayyad Al-Hayes,” nicknamed “Abu Hatem Shakra,” was claimed to be a partner in the Al Safir OTO company mentioned in their recent report.

The statement conveyed the following:

The leadership of the Free Eastern Brigade and its general commander vehemently rejects the allegations in the report concerning his association with Al Safir OTO company. They confirm that he does not own any shares in it, has had no dealings with it whatsoever, and had no prior knowledge of the company. The statement denounces these misleading claims.

The leadership of the Free Eastern Brigade clarifies that the evidence and documents presented by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that led to accusations against the General Commander Abu Hatem Shakra lack any substantiation for the claims regarding his involvement with the mentioned company in their report.

The faction’s leadership affirms its willingness to engage in discussion and clarification for any concerns held by the international community to ensure justice in any mentioned violations. Based on this, the Free Eastern Brigade and its general commander, Ahmed Ihsan Fayyad Al-Hayes, hope that the U.S. Department of the Treasury reconsiders its decision and relies on verifiable evidence to support its report regarding ownership of Al Safir OTO company.

In conclusion, sanctions sometimes exacerbate hostile sentiments and divert attention from the brutal behavior of the Syrian regime, which has committed some of the worst war crimes in history. The Syrian National Army, with all its components, continues to protect the Syrian people and their peaceful struggle to find comprehensive and decisive solutions to the issues they have been enduring for years, in pursuit of freedom, independence, and their return to the country they were forcibly displaced from.

On the other hand, it appears that the U.S. Department of the Treasury relies on deceptive reports in its Office of Foreign Assets Control, with these misleading reports stemming from entities that have an interest in maligning the efforts of the Free Eastern Brigade, which is part of the Syrian National Army, and thwarting their plans.

The United States is a great nation, and therefore, the Office of Foreign Assets Control should not rely on false reports. This office can publish documents that support its report rather than invalid reports from entities that harbor animosity toward the Syrian people and their revolution.

Translated by Khaled Almohammad