U.S. President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Friday imposing new sanctions against Syria's intelligence agency and two relatives of President Bashar al-Assad in response to a crackdown on protests, senior U.S. officials said.
Assad was not among those targeted for the sanctions, which will include asset freezes and bans on U.S. business dealings, but he could be named later if violence by government forces against pro-democracy protesters continues, the officials said.
