Syrian Olympics chief to be banned from 2012 Games

London's Olympic Stadium in Stratford The UK is set to ban the head of Syria's National Olympic Committee (NOC) from attending the London games next month, but will allow a young showjumper with  family ties to president Bashar al-Assad's regime to compete as planned.
Government sources have said that General Mowaffak Joumaa will be refused entry to the UK on the grounds of his links to President Assad and the Syrian military, which has been accused of carrying out atrocities over the past 15 months.
Exclusion decisions in the UK are taken by a joint Home Office-Foreign Office committee, with input from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Sources told British daily The Guardian that there was "very little sympathy" for the Syrian NOC chief.
The decisions on the Syrians comes as more than 130 heads of state are expected to be in London for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics.
There has been a debate behind the scenes about the best approach to take to individuals who are not subject to international travel bans but whose attendance presents an ethical dilemma.
Speaking 100 days before the Games, the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said Britain did not intend to use the event to "preach about our values". However, the Syrian application is believed to fall into a different category given the ongoing violence in the country, which has claimed 15,000 lives in 15 months.
The International Olympic Committee has said that it is down to the UK government to decide whether Joumaa should be allowed to enter the country.
Ahmed Hamsho, 18, is the first ever Syrian equestrian to qualify for the Olympics. His father Mohammed is one of the country's wealthiest businessmen and a close associate of Maher al-Assad, the president's brother and architect of the brutal suppression of the uprising. Hamsho senior's businesses have been targeted by US and EU sanctions. His interests include Ad-Dounia TV, a privately owned channel which is seen as a propaganda arm of the regime.
Opposition sources say they expect Joumaa to be denied entry in line with the recent expulsion of Syrian diplomats in protest at alleged massacres.
In a letter to the sports minister, Hugh Robertson, the British Solidarity for Syria group (BSS) described Joumaa as "an aide, supporter and apologist for a regime committing war crimes and crimes against humanity including torture, sexual violence and extra-judicial executions". It also expressed "grave concerns" about the links of the general secretary of the Olympic committee, Feras Mouala, to the regime and urged that he be investigated.
Robertson will be asked by the committee if there is any "sporting reason" why the Syrian NOC chief should attend and is likely to say there is not.
Ghassan Ibrahim, an independent activist, told The Guardian: "The opposition is against participation by anyone representing the regime directly. No one can occupy such a position unless he is close to the regime and there is no chance of defection; in other words, he has blood on his hands."
A Syria-based opposition figure said: "Sport in Syria is as corrupt as everything else. People who are well connected and less skilled than others get preferential placement on national teams. It's been long known that sports officials, just like all officials, abuse their power and position for their gain and those around them."
Maher al-Assad's wife, Manal al-Jaadan, is head of the Syrian showjumping federation. But there was no call for Hamsho to be barred. "If he is a competitor, then why not let him come?" said Malik al-Abdeh, a Syrian journalist and opposition supporter. "Maybe he will defect like used to happen with Soviet bloc athletes during the cold war. It could be a good PR stunt. In the big picture you can't blame an 18-year old for what his father has done."
Abdulwahab Sayed Omar of the BSS suggested Hamsho would face pressure if he does take part in the Olympics: "No son should have to bear his father's cross, but Syrians in the UK are eager to understand where Hamsho junior's loyalties lie. His presence in London should be exploited to allow him to state whether he echoes the views of his family. Does he support the murderous Assad regime or does he believe in freedom and democracy for Syria? Many Syrians believe him to be another member of the Assad mafia, so this is his chance to make his position clear."
The UK Foreign Office refused to comment, but said that anyone subject to an EU or UN travel ban would not be able to come to the Games. "Entry will also be refused where an individual's presence would not be conducive to the public good. Where there is independent, reliable and credible evidence that an individual has committed human rights abuses, the individual will not normally be permitted to enter the UK."