Syria, one of the world’s worst terrorist sponsors, got a bad-tasting present today that was long overdue. President Bush today exercised provisions of the Syria Accountability Act by halting all American exports to that country and freezing particular Syrian financial assets held in the US. Exports considered humanitarian in nature were excluded from the ban.

The BBC published an article today painting President Bush’s rationale for imposing sanctions against Syria as merely based on “accusations:”

He [Bush] accused Syria of continuing to harbour Palestinian militants and supporting the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and of maintaining a military force in Lebanon against the spirit of peace accords there.

Damascus also possessed "one the most advanced Arab state chemical weapons capabilities", the statement said.

On Iraq, the US leader accused President Bashar al-Assad of supplying Saddam Hussein's forces just before the US-led invasion and of since then becoming "a preferred transit point for foreign fighters into Iraq".

Anyone in their right mind knows these “accusations” to be facts. Syria was complicit in the murder of 241 American marines in 1983. The country has a terrifying arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Syria occupies Lebanon. Under the leadership of President Assad’s father, Syrian forces massacred 38,000 civilians in the town of Hama. The country plays host to some of the world's worst terrorist groups.

Despite Syria’s obvious support for terror, the Europeans aren’t inclined to put any pressure on the country. Eurabia does $7.2 billion in business per year with Syria compared with the U.S.’ paltry $0.3 billion. Just as Eurabia propped up Saddam, it will continue to prop up Bashar al-Assad. Thank goodness the U.S. will have no more part of this blood money.