[House Document 104-103]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





                                     

        104th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - House Document 
104-103


 
    DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO 
  ORGANIZATIONS THAT THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  FROM

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

 A REPORT ON ACTIONS AND EXPENSES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE EXERCISE OF 
   POWERS AND AUTHORITIES CONFERRED BY THE DECLARATION OF A NATIONAL 
 EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST 
PEACE PROCESS, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), AND 22 
                           U.S.C. 2349aa-9(c)




    July 27, 1995.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
     Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
    I hereby report to the Congress on the developments 
concerning the national emergency with respect to organizations 
that threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process that was 
declared in Executive Order No. 12947 of January 23, 1995. This 
report is submitted pursuant to section 401(c) of the National 
Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c); section 204(c) of the 
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 
1703(c); and section 505(c) of the International Security and 
Development Cooperation Act of 1985, 22 U.S.C. 2349aa-9(c).
    1. On January 23, 1995, I signed Executive Order No. 12947, 
``Prohibiting Transactions with Terrorists Who Threaten to 
Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process'' (the ``order'') (60 
Fed. Reg. 5079, January 25, 1995). The order blocks all 
property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which there is any 
interest of 12 terrorist organizations that threaten the Middle 
East peace process as identified in an Annex to the order. The 
order also blocks the property and interests in property 
subject to U.S. jurisdiction of persons designated by the 
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the 
Treasury and the Attorney General, who are found (1) to have 
committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of 
violence that have the purpose or effect of disrupting the 
Middle East peace process, or (2) to assist in, sponsor, or 
provide financial, material, or technological support for, or 
services in support of, such acts of violence. In addition, the 
order blocks all property and interests in property subject to 
U.S. jurisdiction in which there is any interest of persons 
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination 
with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, to be 
owned or controlled by, or to act for or on behalf of, any 
other person designated pursuant to the order (collectively 
``Specially Designated Terrorists'' or ``SDTs'').
    The order further prohibits any transaction or dealing by a 
United States person or within the United States in property or 
interests in property of SDTs, including the making or 
receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to 
or for the benefit of such persons. This prohibition includes 
donations that are intended to relieve human suffering.
    Designations of persons blocked pursuant to the order are 
effective upon the date of determination by the Secretary of 
State or his delegate, or the Director of the Office of Foreign 
Assets Control (FAC) acting under authority delegated by the 
Secretary of the Treasury. Public notice of blocking is 
effective upon the date of filing with the Federal Register, or 
upon prior actual notice.
    2. On January 25, 1995, FAC issued a notice listing persons 
blocked pursuant to Executive Order No. 12947 who have been 
designated by the President as terrorist organizations 
threatening the Middle East peace process or who have been 
found to be owned or controlled by, or to be acting for or on 
behalf of, these terrorist organizations (60 Fed. Reg. 5084, 
January 25, 1995). The notice identifies 31 entities that act 
for or on behalf of the 12 Middle East terrorist organizations 
listed in the Annex to Executive Order No. 12947, as well as 18 
individuals who are leaders or representatives of these groups. 
In addition the notice provides 9 name variations or pseudonyms 
used by the 18 individuals identified. The FAC, in coordination 
with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, will 
continue to expand the list of terrorist organizations as 
additional information is developed. A copy of the notice is 
attached to this report.
    3. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the 
6-month period from January 23 through July 21, 1995, that are 
directly attributable to the exercise of powers and authorities 
conferred by the declaration of the national emergency with 
respect to organizations that disrupt the Middle East peace 
process are estimated at approximately $55,000. Personnel costs 
were largely centered in the Department of the Treasury 
(particularly in the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the 
Office of the General Counsel, and the U.S. Customs Service), 
the Department of State, and the Department of Justice.
    4. Executive Order No. 12947 provides this Administration 
with a new tool for combating fund raising in this country on 
behalf of organizations that use terror to undermine the Middle 
East peace process. The order makes it harder for such groups 
to finance these criminal activities by cutting off their 
access to sources of support in the United States and to U.S. 
financial facilities. It is also intended to reach charitable 
contributions to designated organizations to preclude diversion 
of such donations to terrorist activities.
    In addition, I have sent to the Congress new comprehensive 
counterterrorism legislation that would strengthen our ability 
to prevent terrorist acts, identify those who carry them out, 
and bring them to justice. The combination of Executive Order 
No. 12947 and the proposed legislation demonstrate the United 
States' determination to confront and combat those who would 
seek to destroy the Middle East peace process, and our 
commitment to the global fight against terrorism.
    I shall continue to exercise the powers at my disposal to 
apply economic sanctions against extremists seeking to destroy 
the hopes of peaceful coexistence between Arabs and Israelis as 
long as these measures are appropriate, and will continue to 
report periodically to the Congress on significant developments 
pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1703(c).
                                                William J. Clinton.
    The White House, July 27, 1995.