Sanctions on Syria - NYTimes.com Re "Syria's Rising Toll" (editorial, Jan. 20): With the Russian government continuing to enable President Bashar al-Assad's violent campaign against civilians, it is time for the United States government to use all available channels to disrupt supply chains providing resources to Syrian authorities committing atrocities. Our government's response to preventing atrocities wherever they occur, including Syria, should include targeted restrictions on the travel and assets of any person, country or company that is a direct or third-party enabler of atrocities, regardless of location. These measures, for example, will heighten pressure on Assad supporters in Syria and abroad to end civilian killings by undermining their credibility and limiting their personal access and international mobility. Comparable actions personified United States policy toward the oppressive military regime in Myanmar, formerly Burma, and can be effective as a means of curtailing violence in Syria and in other contexts where atrocities occur. SADIA HAMEED Director Crimes Against Humanity Program Human Rights First Washington, Jan. 20, 2012