[House Document 104-253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

104th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 104-253


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

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  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) AND 50 U.S.C. 1703(c)




     September 4, 1996.--Referred to the Committee on International 
                  Relations and ordered to be printed



                                           The White House,
                                        Washington, August 8, 1996.
Hon. Newt Gingrich,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: 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 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), and section 
204(c) of 50 U.S.C. 1703(c).
    1. On January 23, 1995, I signed Executive Order 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 (OFAC) 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, the Department of the Treasury 
issued a notice listing persons blocked pursuant to Executive 
Order 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 identified 31 
entities that act for or on behalf of the 12 Middle East 
terrorist organizations listed in the Annex to Executive Order 
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 list identifies blocked persons who 
have been found to have committed, or to pose a risk of 
committing, acts of violence that have the purpose of 
disrupting the Middle East peace process or to have assisted 
in, sponsored, or provided financial, material or technological 
support for, or service in support of, such acts of violence, 
or are owned or controlled by, or to act for or on behalf of 
other blocked persons. The Department of the Treasury issued 
three additional notices adding the names of three individuals, 
as well as their pseudonyms, to the List of SDTs (60 Fed. Reg. 
41152-53, August 11, 1995; 60 Fed. Reg. 44932-33, August 29, 
1995; and 60 Fed. Reg. 58435-36, November 27, 1995). The OFAC, 
in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Attorney 
General, is continuing to expand the list of Specially 
Designated Terrorists, including both organizations and 
individuals, as additional information is developed.
    3. On February 2, 1996, OFAC issued the Terrorism Sanctions 
Regulations (the ``TSRs'') (61 Fed. Reg. 3805-13, February 2, 
1996). The TSRs implement the President's declaration of a 
national emergency and imposition of sanctions against certain 
persons whose acts of violence have the purpose or effect of 
disrupting the Middle East peace process.
    4. During the reporting period, OFAC issued two licenses 
pursuant to the TSRs. One license authorized the disbursement 
of funds from a blocked account for the legal defense of an 
identified terrorist. The second authorized the release of 
certain funds from the blocked account of the same SDT for 
maintenance in the United States of his dependents.
    5. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the 
6-month period from January 23 through July 22, 1996, 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 $1 million.
    6. Executive Order 12947 provides this Administration with 
a new tool for combating fundraising 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 and individuals to 
preclude diversion of such donations to terrorist activities.
    In addition, comprehensive counterterrorism legislation was 
enacted on April 24, 1996, 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 12947 
and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996; 
Public Law 104-132, 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).
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.

                                
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