The United States has announced it is widening sanctions on Syria amid the government's ongoing deadly crackdown against dissent. The new asset-freezes and bans on business interactions include Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban, and Syria's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul Karim Ali. A US State Department spokeswoman said on Tuesday that the three were targeted because of their role in propagating what she called the reign of terror that President Bashar al-Assad has unleashed on his people. The Syrian government has blamed much of the country's violence on what it calls armed gangs and terrorists.