THE UNITED STATES ON FRIDAY SAID IT WOULD JOIN THE EUROPEAN UNION IN PLACING SANCTIONS ON BELARUSIAN OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR RIGGING THE COUNTRY'S RECENT ELECTIONS, DPA REPORTED. 'WE URGE ALL MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO DEMAND THAT AUTHORITIES IN BELARUS RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF THEIR OWN CITIZENS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES PEACEFULLY AND TO CONDEMN ANY AND ALL ABUSES,' WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN SCOTT MCCLELLAN SAID. THE UNITED STATES WOULD TARGET OFFICIALS WITH FINANCIAL SANCTIONS AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, SAID MCCLELLAN, WHO DID RULE OUT THAT BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO COULD ALSO BE SUBJECTED TO PENALTIES. MCCLELLAN ALSO STRONGLY CONDEMNED THE CRACKDOWN AND ARREST OF PROTESTORS FRIDAY BY BELARUSIAN AUTHORITIES AND CALLED FOR THE RELEASED OF ALL POLITICAL DISSIDENTS IN CUSTODY. BELARUSIAN POLICE 'FORCIBLY SEIZED AND DETAINED CITIZENS OF BELARUS WHO WERE PEACEFULLY DEMONSTRATING AGAINST THE FRAUDULENT MARCH 19TH ELECTION RESULTS,' HE SAID. LUKASHENKO, WHO HAS BEEN REFERRED TWO BY THE UNITED STATES AS EUROPE'S LAST DICTATOR, EASILY WON ELECTIONS ON SUNDAY THAT WERE WIDELY CRITICIZED BY INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS AS FRAUDULENT. THE EUROPEAN UNION ANNOUNCED EARLIER ON FRIDAY THAT IT WOULD INTRODUCE SANCTIONS ON THE BELARUSIAN GOVERNMENT. THE US GOVERNMENT HAD THREATENED SANCTIONS IF THE ELECTIONS DID NOT MEET INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. WASHINGTON ACCUSES LUKASHENKO'S GOVERNMENT OF ARRESTING POLITICAL OPPONENTS AND CRACKING DOWN ON THE MEDIA AND PRO-DEMOCRACY ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE BALLOTING. ---SP 22 14 LOCAL TIME 19 14 GMT
