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P 100754Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4708
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0792
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0357

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 DAMASCUS 000165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, NEA/RA, NEA/ELA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM KFRD KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG
SUBJECT: SRYIA: 2007 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT 
 
REF: SECSTATE 02731 
 
¶1. (U) THe following is Post's submission of the annual 
trafficking in persons report.  The Embassy's point of 
contact is Hilary C. Dauer.  Office Telephone: (963) (11) 
3391-3207.  Fax: (963) (11) 3391-3999.  Officer spent 30 
hours in preparation of the report, which is structured to 
answer reftel. 
 
--------- 
CHECKLIST 
--------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) 27.A:  Syria's opaque legal and political system 
and conservative, family-centered societal values discourage 
discussion of trafficking-related issues such as 
prostitution. However, various organizations report that the 
major influx of Iraqi refugees (perhaps up to 1.5 million) 
into Syria who have not been permitted to work, have caused 
significant problems of trafficking in Syria - with regard to 
women and children.  No government entity follows this issue 
in depth; the capacity of civil society is underdeveloped, 
and there are few international NGOs in Syria.  One contact 
at an International Organization said that while government 
officials are now participating in conferences on the 
subject, no proper analysis or assessment of the problem has 
been conducted so far.  Consequently, there are no statistics 
available on the scope and type of trafficking that may exist 
and very limited insight on the part of the government, the 
general public, the diplomatic community and international 
organizations resident in Syria into the issue.  Embassies, 
international organizations, individual activists, lawyers 
and journalists are the best sources of information about the 
number of people in Syria who are potential victims of 
trafficking.  Based on our sources and anecdotal evidence, 
women and girls from Iraq are most at risk of being 
trafficked to and through Syria for prostitution while women 
from South and Southeast Asia are most at risk of being 
trafficked to and through Syria for the domestic labor. 
 
¶3. (SBU) 27.B: Most sources queried by post (UNHCR, 
International Office for Migration otherwise known as IOM, 
Asian, Arab, African and European diplomats, lawyers and 
journalists) do not believe that trafficking in persons is 
systematic in Syria.  There is no information suggesting that 
Syria is a country of origin for trafficking.  Most sources, 
however, assert that turmoil in neighboring Iraq has created 
conditions conducive to the trafficking of Iraqi women, which 
has led to increased prostitution by Iraqi women and girls in 
Syria, and to the trafficking of some women and girls to 
Kuwait, Dubai and Lebanon through Syria.  There are no 
official estimates on the number of Iraqi prostitutes here, 
whether they were trafficked here or turned to prostitution 
once their other economic means of support ran out, or on the 
numbers of women and girls who are trafficked through Syria. 
There have been some media reports, however, that put the 
number of Iraqi prostitutes at 50,000, but it is unclear how 
this number was conceived or how credible it is.  Further 
complicating the matter is that some Iraqi women and girls 
who turn to prostitution out of economic desperation are then 
trafficked back into Syria after they are arrested and 
deported from Syria.  Anecdotal reports suggest that Iraqi 
gangs pray on the most vulnerable refugee families looking 
for women to lure into prostitution.  Some or most of these 
gangs are likely to be involved in trafficking to some 
extent. 
 
4.(SBU) 27.B-continuted: Although there are reports of Iraqi 
gangs being deeply involved in the connection between women 
and prostitution in Syria, the anecdotal reports of how women 
are trafficked into the country vary widely.  Diplomatic 
sources suggest that Iraqi women refugees are eventually 
forced by a lack of economic means to turn to prostitution 
once male heads of household are forced to return to Iraq. 
Separately, in some cases, Iraqis (both men and women) bring 
Iraqi women and girls into Syria, who are falsely listed as 
wives and daughters on the traffickers' passports. In other 
cases, a trafficker may legally bring an Iraqi woman who is 
his wife through a "pleasure marriage" (which can be quickly 
and easily solemnized and dissolved) to Syria and then hand 
her off to the proprietor of a night club or brothel, 
according to Embassy contacts in international organizations. 
 
DAMASCUS 00000165  002 OF 007 
 
 
 Iraqi traffickers will also collude with elements of Syrian 
organized crime to deceive Iraqi women into traveling to 
Syria for a supposedly legitimate job only to end up working 
in a cabaret or brothel, according to local women,s rights 
lawyers.  Sometimes, according to anecdotal reports, 
desperate Iraqi families leave their children at the border 
with the expectation that traffickers on the Syrian side will 
pick them up and arrange forged documents so the young women 
and girls can stay in Syria in exchange for working in a 
night club or brothel.  In still other cases, the traffickers 
may seek new passports for the women and girls before 
"selling" them to third-country nationals for employment in 
the Middle East, such as in Lebanon, Dubai and Kuwait, 
according to a diplomatic source.  Women are also trafficked 
from Somalia to work as prostitutes, although the problem is 
not as widespread.  Somali women are more likely to be 
transited to third countries. 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) 27.B-continued:  The fact that Iraqi refugees are 
not permitted to work has resulted in many Iraqi refugee 
children working to provide for their families because the 
authorities are less likely to be prevent children from 
working.  Anecdotal reports suggest that some children may be 
put to work against their will by third parties. 
Additionally, the General Federation of Trade Unions (the 
only legal labor union in Syria) estimates that there are 
approximately 150,000 Southeast Asian and Ethiopian domestic 
workers in Syria (Note: The governments of Sri Lanka, 
Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines ban their citizens 
from taking employment as domestic workers in the country, 
absent formal mechanisms to regulate such employment, 
although at least with regard to Indonesians and Sri Lankans, 
the ban is not stopping the flow of workers to Syria.)  Many 
workers apparently arrive in Syria with little knowledge 
about their employment conditions. Employers routinely hold 
the workers' passports and require them to work long hours, 
often without providing living quarters that would guarantee 
personal privacy.  In addition, the workers are often not 
allowed to leave the residence and are subject to violence 
from their employers. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) 27.B-continued:  In addition, Post has anecdotal 
evidence that several hundred Eastern European women are 
employed as dancers in cabarets in unacceptable conditions, 
with their employers holding their passports and restricting 
the number of hours that dancers can leave the work premises. 
 Employers from both Syria and the women's home country 
reportedly recruit the women as dancers and have them sign a 
contract that stipulates a very low wage in Syria with the 
understanding that they will be paid more under the table 
upon arrival.  Once they arrive, the dancers are made to 
understand that they can earn additional money from 
prostitution, especially during the three hours daily that 
they are authorized to leave the club.  International 
Organizations have, by and large, not focused on the issue of 
Eastern European woman trafficked to Syria as dancers.  The 
number of prostitutes may have gone down because of the 
availability of so many exploitable Iraqi refugees. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) 27.B-continued: The SARG has taken steps that 
indicate official awareness of the potential for greater 
trafficking to and from Syria by creating a 
counter-trafficking commission in 2005, which met three times 
in 2007.  The cabinet is currently reviewing the 
commission,s draft counter-trafficking legislation, after 
which it will go to the People,s Assembly for approval. 
There are currently no estimates on when the cabinet will 
forward the legislation. 
 
¶8. (SBU) 27.B-continued: In 2007, the government also began 
to implement Decree 81, which was issued in 2006, to regulate 
the activities of domestic worker agencies.  The IOM 
estimates that there are now five registered domestic worker 
agencies and 5,000 registered domestic workers from abroad. 
In addition, in November 2007 the Prime Minister ordered all 
the estimated hundreds of unregistered domestic worker 
agencies shut.  According to local women,s rights advocates, 
the PM,s office, in conjunction with the Ministry of 
Interior, has been enforcing the new regulations and there 
are no reports of corruption.  Yet the same sources report 
that the unregistered domestic worker agencies can restart 
 
DAMASCUS 00000165  003 OF 007 
 
 
their work under the front of a legitimate business such as a 
real estate agency.  Decree 81 does not specify any criminal 
punishment for the operators of unregistered domestic worker 
agencies. 
 
¶9. (SBU) 27.B-continued: In January of 2008, the Ministry of 
Interior, with the IOM, sponsored a three-day conference 
designed to create awareness among Parliamentarians and 
journalists of the problem of trafficking and train judges, 
lawyers and police on how to deal with the victims of 
trafficking.   Finally, on December 17, 2007, the Ministry of 
Social Affairs and Welfare approved IOM,s proposal to open 
the first government-supported shelter for victims of 
trafficking, which includes a referral system for victims of 
trafficking that government agencies, international 
organizations and NGOs can use. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) 27.C:  The Interior Ministry has taken the lead on 
addressing trafficking issues. It has worked most closely 
with IOM in setting up conferences, exercising responsibility 
to enforce Decree 81, and providing protection provisions 
that allow government officials and others to refer victims 
to a shelter.  The Ministry of Social Affairs and Welfare 
also plays a role in trafficking issues such as approving the 
IOM-funded shelter and deciding which unregistered domestic 
worker agencies should be shut. 
 
¶11. (SBU) 27.D: Limitations on the SARG's ability to address 
trafficking include a lack of reliable statistics on foreign 
migration to Syria, a lack of widespread awareness about 
trafficking, including among officials and law enforcement 
officers, a lack of resources and technical capacities, and 
corruption.  Local contacts say that corruption is most 
prevalent with regard to the problem of prostitution in the 
Iraqi refugee community with many police officials taking 
payoffs to turn a blind eye. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) 27.E:  Ministry of Interior officials said during 
the February 2007 counter-trafficking conference that they do 
not systematically monitor counter-trafficking.  Rather, 
Ministry officials monitor, for example, prostitution-related 
offenses.  To Post's knowledge, none of the SARG's 
assessments related to trafficking are made available 
publicly or privately. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) 28.A:   Syria has no laws that specifically 
prohibit trafficking in persons, although there is a 1961 
anti-prostitution law that imposes punishment and 
criminalizes bringing people into the country for the purpose 
of prostitution, according to an IOM-sponsored study. 
Moreover, for individuals who facilitate travel of Syrian 
women abroad to work as prostitutes, article 3 of Law 10 of 
1961 stipulates imprisonment of one to five years and a fine 
of 1,000 to 5,000 Syrian Pounds (about USD $20 to $100).  If 
more than one victim is involved, or if the victim is less 
than 16 years old or is a paid servant, the maximum sentence 
increases to seven years.  Direct text follows: 
 
"Whoever entices a male under the age of 21 or a female of 
whatever age to leave the United Arab Republic (Note: Egypt 
and Syria were one country at the time.) or facilitate this 
or uses him/her, or accompanies him/her abroad to work in 
fornication or prostitution and whoever helps with this 
knowingly would be punished by imprisonment of no less than 
one year and no more than five years and with a fine ranging 
from one thousand to five thousand Syrian pounds, and the 
maximum penalty would be imprisonment of seven years if the 
crime was inflicted on two or more individuals." 
 
¶14. (SBU) 28.A-continued:  There are other legal texts in 
Syria that could further form the basis of future legislation 
to combat trafficking in persons, according to the IOM.  For 
instance, Section 555 of the Penal Code stipulates that, 
"whoever incarcerates another person is subjected to a prison 
sentence of six months to two years."  Section 556 states 
that, "if the incarceration lasts for more than one month or 
includes torture, the sentence will include hard labor." 
Decree 29 of 1970 regulating the immigration of foreigners 
 
DAMASCUS 00000165  004 OF 007 
 
 
states that, "any foreigner who tries to enter the country 
with false documentation and anyone who may have aided that 
foreigner is subject to imprisonment of three months to one 
year and a fine of $10 (500 Syrian pounds) to $40 (2,000 
Syrian pounds)."  In practice, these laws are not enforced 
against traffickers, however. 
 
¶15. (SBU) 28.A-continued:  In addition, the Syrian 
Constitution provides for regulation of working hours. 
Decree 81 of 2006 that regulates domestic worker agencies 
provides general guidelines for employee contacts, 
stipulating that worker rights be respected, especially 
"provision of clothing, food, medicine, acceptable place for 
the sleep and rest of the worker and undertaking to pay out 
the monthly salary at the end of each month and 
....sufficient periods for rest and annual leave and not to 
abuse or beat her under the threat of judicial prosecution in 
accordance with the existing laws and regulations." 
 
¶16. (SBU) 28.A-continued:  Finally, a security MOU signed in 
late 2006 between the Syrian and Iraqi governments pledges to 
counter trafficking between the two countries.  Post has 
heard no reports that either government has taken steps to 
implement the MOU. 
 
¶17.  (SBU) 28.B:  Post is not aware of anyone prosecuted for 
trafficking people for sexual exploitation during the 
reporting period.  However, there is anecdotal evidence that 
Iraqi gangs have been broken up and Iraqis have been deported 
back to Iraq for involvement in trafficking and other 
criminal activities. 
 
¶18.  (SBU) 28.C:  There are no specific anti-trafficking 
laws.  However, the 2006 decree states that domestic worker 
agencies that violate the degree would be punished in 
accordance with article 756 of the general penal code, which 
stipulates that violators may be imprisoned for an 
undetermined length of time and/or fined up to 100 Syrian 
Pounds (about USD two).  To date there are no reports of 
anyone tried or punished under the decree. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) 28.D:  Rape and forcible sexual assault are 
addressed in the 1949 Penal Code; penalties for sex crimes 
were revised in 1985.  The minimum sentence for rape or 
sexual assault is three years imprisonment; the maximum 
sentence is 15 years--or 21 years if the victim is a minor 
between the ages of 12 and 15.  If the victim is less than 12 
years old, the minimum sentence is 15 years imprisonment. 
However, the perpetrator is absolved of all criminal guilt if 
he agrees to marry the victim.  If the victim is too young 
for marriage, the rapist receives a longer prison sentence. 
For kidnapping of women, the penalty is imprisonment for 
three to seven years.  The penalty for deflowering a virgin 
is five years.  The penalty for molestation of a minor less 
than 15 years of age is 18 months imprisonment 
 
¶20.  (SBU) 28.E:  Prostitution is illegal in Syria.  In 
addition, the Syrian Penal Code's Debauchery Law criminalizes 
prostitution of any kind.  Prostitution is defined as 
occurring when any person lures, seduces, induces, assists 
with, or facilitates another person's commitment of 
fornication or adultery (regardless of whether there was a 
financial benefit).  The penalty for prostitution under the 
penal code is imprisonment for three months to three years 
and payment of a fine of 1,000-3,000 Syrian Pounds (about 
$20-60).  In the past, Post has received anecdotal reports 
that cabarets with dancers who double as prostitutes operate 
throughout Syria with the knowledge of local police who are 
bribed to ignore the problem. During the past year, however, 
there were sporadic media reports of police raiding night 
clubs and cabarets. 
 
¶21.  (SBU) 28.F:  Post is not aware of instances in which 
traffickers have been prosecuted in Syria. 
 
¶22.  (SBU) 28.G:  In a January 2008 conference, the IOM and 
the Ministry of the Interior conducted training for police, 
lawyers and judges that was designed to help them better 
identify and assist victims of trafficking.  In addition, the 
IOM conducted training in December 2007 to train Ministry of 
Interior immigration officials on border management, 
including a component on trafficking. 
 
DAMASCUS 00000165  005 OF 007 
 
 
 
¶23. (SBU) 28.H: The government has informally discussed 
incidents of illegal migration with other governments through 
their embassies in Damascus and has unofficially assisted 
foreign embassies and the IOM with cases involving trafficked 
individuals.  At the same time, however, some embassies and 
international organizations have complained that the Syrian 
government has not provided adequate information regarding 
immigration matters, especially the conditions at the border. 
 
¶24.  (SBU) 28.I:  Post is not aware of any instances where 
traffickers have been extradited. 
 
¶25.  (SBU) 28.J:  Post has heard no direct evidence of 
central government involvement or tolerance of trafficking. 
With the increased international and domestic media focus on 
Iraqi prostitution, however, the government has stepped up 
its scrutiny of nightclubs and brothels, especially those 
with Iraqi prostitutes.  There are anecdotal reports of 
police raids on some night clubs as well as ensuing arrests. 
On the other hand there are also reports that, as in years 
past, the police and other government agencies largely 
tolerate prostitution when it occurs in a cabaret or brothel 
(known as "casino" in Syria).  According to contacts in 
international organizations, the police do not monitor the 
activities of such venues.  The face of prostitution in Syria 
is also changing due to the influx of Iraqi refugees working 
as prostitutes.  There are now anecdotal reports of Iraqi 
prostitutes soliciting on the street and villas in the 
suburbs being used venues for rendezvous between clients and 
prostitutes who may have met in a club or brothel.  The 
extent to which this police tolerance of prostitution aids 
and abets trafficking is difficult to discern, but such 
tolerance can only make trafficking easier.  One local 
journalist told the Embassy that Syrian authorities will 
often release incarcerated Iraqi prostitutes into the hands 
of the traffickers. 
 
¶26.  (SBU) 28.K:  Post is unaware of any examples of 
trafficking-related corruption being prosecuted. 
 
¶27. (SBU) 28.L: Syria does not contribute troops to 
international peacekeeping efforts. 
 
¶28.  (SBU) 28.M:  Post is not aware of any child sex tourism 
in Syria.  There are anecdotal press reports of citizens of 
other Middle Eastern countries visiting Syria for sex 
tourism, partially due to the large influx of Iraqi refugee 
prostitutes.  There is also anecdotal evidence that many 
Iraqi prostitutes are minors.  It is unclear to what extent 
any visitors come to Syria solely for the purpose of having 
sex with underage women. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶29. (SBU) 29.A: Post has no reports of the government 
assisting foreign trafficking victims, for example, by 
providing temporary or permanent residency status or other 
relief from deportation. 
 
¶30. (SBU) 29.B: The government has limited means and does not 
have dedicated shelters for trafficking victims nor does it 
provide counseling or legal assistance. On December 17, 
however, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor gave the 
IOM approval to set-up a government-authorized women,s 
shelter that will accept victims of trafficking. 
Traditionally, such services were limited in Syria, and 
primarily provided through religious organizations and 
charity groups.  In addition, Caritas, under the auspices of 
the Catholic Church, funds a shelter run by nuns that offers 
protection to women, some of whom are victims of trafficking. 
 Juvenile victims of rape or sexual assault, as well as 
minors accused of prostitution, are housed in dedicated 
juvenile detention facilities, which provide health care and 
vocational training.  Finally, some Embassies provide limited 
assistance.  For example, post is aware that the Indonesian 
Embassy has a shelter with 10 rooms on its Embassy grounds in 
the event that a woman escapes to the Embassy seeking 
assistance. 
 
 
DAMASCUS 00000165  006 OF 007 
 
 
¶31. (SBU) 29.C: According to Embassy sources, the SARG does 
not provide funding to foreign or domestic NGOs for provision 
of services to victims of trafficking, although it does 
support the Syrian Women's Union's efforts to provide 
emergency relief and education and training to women in Syria. 
 
¶32. (SBU) 29.D: Post has anecdotal reports that some foreign 
women in prison on prostitution charges have been beaten by 
prison officials.  On December 17, 2007 the Ministry of 
Social Affairs and Welfare approved a referral system whereby 
police, immigration officers, judges, and other government 
officials can refer victims of trafficking to a government 
authorized shelter rather than criminal prosecution.  To 
date, no one has been referred to the shelter as it has yet 
to open. 
 
¶33. (SBU) 29.E: Prostitution is not legal in Syria. 
 
¶34. (SBU) 29.F: In many cases victims of trafficking, who are 
increasing from the Iraqi refugee community, were arrested 
and charged with prostitution and/or violating immigration 
laws.  In almost all cases the victims were subject to 
deportation.  In some cases embassies and consulates of the 
victim,s country helped ease the way for their return to 
their home country. 
 
¶35. (SBU) 29.G: Post is not aware of any examples of victims 
participating in the investigation and prosecution of 
traffickers.  Decree 81 requires domestic worker agencies to 
put down a USD one million guarantee, which some contacts 
assert could be used for a victim restitution program. 
 
¶36. (SBU) 29.H: In addition to the government-approved 
shelter that will open under the guidance of IOM later this 
year, another shelter is run under the auspices of the 
Catholic Church.  The shelter provides assistance to many 
women and children who are the victims of a myriad of 
different deprivations, some of whom are victims of 
trafficking.  Currently, the government does not provide 
resources to the victims of trafficking. 
 
¶37. (SBU) 29.I: During a January 2008 conference, the IOM, 
under the auspices of the Ministry for the Interior, provided 
training to judges, lawyers and police on how to recognize 
and deal with victims of trafficking.  Post has no reports of 
Syrian embassies abroad providing assistance to Syrian 
victims of trafficking. 
 
¶38. (SBU) 29.J: Post has not received any reports of Syrians 
being trafficked abroad. 
 
¶39. (SBU) 29.K: Both the IOM and the UNHCR work with victims 
of trafficking.  Both organizations provide funds to shelters 
while the IOM provides both training and awareness to 
government officials who may come into contact with victims 
of trafficking.  The Syrian government provides no funding to 
assist victims of trafficking.  In November of 2007 the 
UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF, United Nations Food Protection Agency 
(UNFPA), the NGO Bon Pasteur, and the Syrian Arab Red 
Crescent (SARC) formed an interagency Working Group on Sexual 
and Gender Based Violence (SBGV).  The group meets monthly to 
address some issues related to trafficking.  Some contacts at 
International Organizations say they are hopeful to cooperate 
more closely with the SARC and the Syrian Women,s Union in 
the future to address trafficking issues. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
PREVENTION 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶40.  (SBU) 30.A:  During IOM's January 2008 conference the 
Director of the Criminal Security Department, Mohammad Ali 
Saleh said, "Such crimes (human trafficking) don,t 
constitute a common phenomenon nationally."  During the same 
conference, however, the country director for the IOM noted 
the high level of cooperation they have received from 
relevant Syrian government bodies in formulating a draft law 
on trafficking. 
 
¶41. (SBU) 30.B: As mentioned in section 30A, the Ministry of 
the Interior/IOM conference aimed to spread awareness not 
only among government officials in the police, immigration 
 
DAMASCUS 00000165  007 OF 007 
 
 
and the judiciary but also among parliamentarians and 
journalists.  To date, there have been no public information 
campaigns aimed at the general public. 
 
¶42. (SBU) 30.C: The Syrian government, through the Ministry 
of Social Affairs and Welfare, must approve the licensing and 
approve any assistance international NGOs provide to victims 
of trafficking.  Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
must approve any foreign funding for NGOs working in Syria. 
As mentioned in section 30A, SGBV Working Group was formed in 
November 2007 and aims to coordinate action between 
international organizations, NGOs and the 
government-controlled Syrian Arab Red Crescent. 
 
¶43.  (SBU) 30.D:  The government monitors Syria's borders 
closely, particularly after the imposition of visa 
restrictions on Iraqis in October 2007, but shares 
immigration and migration statistics with non-SARG officials 
selectively.  Post is not aware of current screening for 
potential trafficking victims at the border.  In 2007, IOM 
conducted training of Ministry of Interior immigration 
officials in 2007.  The training contains a 
counter-trafficking component. 
 
¶44. (SBU) 30.E: Following IOM's September 2005 workshop, the 
SARG issued decree 5114 on the creation of a government 
committee to formulate a comprehensive draft law to combat 
trafficking in persons and to draft a set of rules to 
regulate agencies that recruit foreign workers to Syria. The 
afore-mentioned SGBV Working Group attempts to coordinate 
action between the Syrian government, UN agencies and NGOs to 
aid victims of trafficking as well other female victims of 
violence.  Post is not aware of any other 
anti-trafficking-in-persons working group or single point of 
contact within the Syrian government.  Post is not aware of 
the existence of an anti-corruption task force. 
 
¶45. (SBU) 30.F: Post is not aware of a government-run 
national plan to address trafficking in persons.  However, 
the government has recently approved as many as 15 licensed 
international NGOs, many of who have plans to work on the 
issue of exploited Iraqi women and children. 
 
¶46. (SBU) 30.G: Post is not aware of any steps the government 
has taken to reduce demand for commercial sex acts. 
CORBIN