[House Document 105-288]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 105-288
DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO TERRORISTS
WHO THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
A REPORT ON DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT
TO TERRORISTS WHO THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
THAT WAS DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 12947 OF JANUARY 23, 1995,
PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1641(c)
July 21, 1998.--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 terrorists
who threaten to disrupt the Middle East Pease 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 the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 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 Terrorities'' or ``SDTs'').
The Order further prohibits any transaction or dealing by a
United States person or within the United States in property
for 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 her 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.
Because terrorists activities continue to threaten the
Middle East peace process and vital interest of the United
States in the Middle East, on January 21, 1998, I continued for
another year the national emergency declared on January 23,
1995, and the measures that took effect on January 24, 1995, to
deal with that emergency. This action was taken in accordance
with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C.
1622(d)).
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
provided 9 name variations or pseudonyms used by the 18
individuals identified. The last identifies blocked persons who
have been found to have committed or to pose a significantrisk
of committing, acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of
disrupting the Middle East peace process or to have assisted in,
sponsored, or provided financial, material or technological support
for, or services in support of, such acts of violence, or are owned or
controlled by, or 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, August 11, 1995; 60 Fed. Reg. 44932, August
29, 1995; and 60 Fed. Reg. 58435, November 27, 1995).
3. On February 2, 1996, OFAC issued the Terrorism Sanctions
Regulations (the ``TSRs'' or the ``Regulations'') (61 Fed. Reg.
3805, 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. There
have been no amendments to the TSRs, 31 C.F.R. Part 595,
administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the
Department of the Treasury, since my report of January 28,
1998.
4. Since January 25, 1995, OFAC has issued six licenses
pursuant to the Regulations. These licenses authorize payment
of legal expenses and the disbursement of funds for normal
expenditures for the maintenance of family members, the
employment and payment of salary and educational expenses,
payment for secure storage of tangible assets, and payment of
certain administrative transactions, to or for individuals
designated pursuant to Executive Order 12947.
5. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the
6-month period from January 23 through July 22, 1998, 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 $165,000. These data do
not reflect certain costs of operations by the intelligence and
law enforcement communities.
6. Executive Order 12947 provides this Administration with
a 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.
Executive Order 12947 demonstrates the determination of the
United States 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 21, 1998.