[House Document 107-102]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



107th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 107-102 


 
PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SIERRA LEONE 

                               __________

                                MESSAGE

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              TRANSMITTING

A SIX-MONTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO 
  SIERRA LEONE THAT WAS DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13194 OF JANUARY 18, 
  2001, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1641(c)




    July 17, 2001.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the 
     Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed
                               __________

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
89-011                     WASHINGTON : 2001

To the Congress of the United States:
    As required by 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, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), I transmit 
herewith a 6-month periodic report on the national emergency 
with respect to Sierra Leone that was declared in Executive 
Order 13194 of January 18, 2001.

                                                    George W. Bush.
    The White House, July 17, 2001.
 President's Periodic Report on the National Emergency With Respect to 
                              Sierra Leone

    I hereby report to the Congress on developments over the 
course of the past 6 months concerning the national emergency 
declared in Executive Order 13194 of January 18, 2001, in 
response to the actions of the insurgent Revolutionary United 
Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone and pursuant to which the United 
States imposed a general ban on the direct and indirect 
importation of all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone to the 
United States, except those imports controlled through the 
Certificate of Origin regime of the Government of Sierra Leone. 
On May 22, 2001, I issued Executive Order 13213, which expanded 
the scope of that national emergency to include actions of the 
Government of Liberia in support of the RUF, and prohibited the 
importation of all rough diamonds from Liberia. This report is 
submitted pursuant to section 204(c) of the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), and section 
401(c) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c). This 
report discusses only matters concerning the national emergency 
declared in response to the actions of the RUF in Sierra Leone, 
and the embargo on the importation of rough diamonds from 
Sierra Leone and Liberia (``Conflict Diamonds'').
    On January 18, 2001, President Clinton issued Executive 
Order 13194 (66 FR 7389, January 23, 2001), in which he 
declared a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to 
United States foreign policy by: (1) the RUF's illicit trade in 
diamonds to fund its operations and procurement of weapons in 
the brutal, decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone; (2) the 
RUF's flagrant violation of the Lome Peace Agreement of July 7, 
1999; and (3) the RUF's attacks on personnel of the United 
Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. In order to implement United 
Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1306 of July 5, 
2000, and to ensure that the importation into the United States 
of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone will not contribute further 
financial support to the RUF, the order prohibits the direct or 
indirect importation into the United States of all rough 
diamonds from Sierra Leone except for those importations 
controlled through the Certificate of Origin regime of the 
Government of Sierra Leone. The exemption for importations of 
diamonds controlled by the Government of Sierra Leone seeks to 
avoid undermining the legitimate diamond trade or diminishing 
confidence in the integrity of the legitimate diamond industry.
    On May 22, 2001, I issued Executive Order 13213 (66 FR 
28829, May 24, 2001), to expand the scope of the national 
emergency declared in Executive Order 13194 and to take 
additional measures with respect to prohibiting the importation 
of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone. In order to further 
theobjectives of Executive Order 13194, to implement UNSCR 1343 of 
March 7, 2001, and to counteract, among other things, the Government of 
Liberia's facilitation of and participation in the RUF's illicit trade 
in diamonds through Liberia, Executive Order 13213 prohibits the direct 
or indirect importation into the United States of all rough diamonds 
from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated in Liberia.
    1. OFAC has disseminated details of this program to the 
financial and international trade communities by both 
electronic and conventional media. In the 6-month period since 
January 18, 2001, OFAC has not issued any specific licenses 
authorizing transactions otherwise prohibited by the Executive 
Orders and has neither assessed nor collected any civil 
monetary penalty for a violation of the Executive Orders. OFAC, 
in cooperation with the U.S. Customs Service, is closely 
monitoring potential violations of the general bans on the 
importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone which are not 
controlled through the Certificate of Origin regime and of all 
rough diamonds from Liberia.
    2. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the 
6-month period from January 18 through July 17, 2001, that are 
directly attributable to the exercise of powers and authorities 
conferred by the declaration of a national emergency with 
respect to Sierra Leone are reported to be approximately 
$100,000, most of which represent wage and salary costs for 
Federal personnel. Personnel costs were largely centered in the 
Department of the Treasury (particularly in the Office of 
Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Customs Service, the Office of 
the Under Secretary for Enforcement, and the Office of the 
General Counsel), the Department of State (particularly the 
Bureaus of Economic and Business Affairs, African Affairs, 
International Organizations and the Office of the Legal 
Adviser), and the Department of Commerce (the Bureau of Export 
Administration and the General Counsel's Office).
    3. The political and security situation in Sierra Leone has 
improved considerably since the issuance of Executive Order 
13194 on January 18, 2001. While the need for continuation of 
the order remains, we have seen significant actions by the RUF 
to suggest that the totality of actions taken in parallel with 
the order, such as an expanded UN peacekeeping force in Sierra 
Leone, British training of the Sierra Leone Army, the effective 
rebuff by the Guinean military of RUF incursions, and UN 
Security Council sanctions against RUF sponsor President Taylor 
of Liberia are effective in wearing down RUF effectiveness and 
its will to continue the conflict. The RUF, however, remains an 
active and dangerous organization, and until the threat from 
the RUF is completely eliminated, along with its control of and 
illegal exploitation of diamond mining areas, the threat to 
U.S. foreign policy remains and Executive Order 13194 will 
remain in effect. I shall exercise the powers at my disposal to 
deal with the threat posed to the foreign policy of the United 
States by the actions of the insurgent Revolutionary United 
Front and will continue to report periodically to the Congress 
on significant developments concerning the national emergency 
declared with respect to Sierra Leone and expanded in scope 
with respect to Liberia.

                                  
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