In June, another research project from C4ADS which asks how a regime under such a heavy international sanctions regime can acquire the supplies needed to manufacture chemical weapons, and saying that it has identified possible routes for continued procurement of materials that support the Syrian chemical weapons programme. It deals with what it refers to as the Handasieh Network (aka Syria’s General Organization for Engineering Industries) which, it points out, is more than just one Syrian company – there are at least 14 subsidiaries operating directly under it that produce everything from steel to renewable energy to pencils. If these companies are 50% or more owned by Handasieh, they too are legally sanctioned by OFAC. However, only one of Handasieh’s direct subsidiaries, the Syrian Arab Electronic Industries Company (Syronics), has been explicitly sanctioned by OFAC, while 2 additional entities that share identifiers with one of Handasieh’s subsidiaries have also been designated. These unsanctioned subsidiaries represent possible avenues for sanctions evasion and chemical weapons procurement.
https://c4ads.org/blogposts/2019/6/25/the-handasieh-network
This blog is primarily for my own use, to keep informed and up to date. However, if you would like to say thank you (and perhaps help me get a new, better laptop when I am away…) you can “buy me a coffee” at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/KoIvM842y
