[House Document 110-95]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
110th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 110-95
ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY
WITH RESPECT TO SYRIA
__________
MESSAGE
from
THEPRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES
transmitting
NOTIFICATION THAT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER HAS BEEN ISSUED BLOCKING
ADDITIONAL PERSONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED
IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13338 OF MAY 11, 2004, CONCERNING ACTIONS OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1701
February 14, 2008.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers
Act, as amended (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby
report that I have issued an Executive Order taking additional
steps with respect to the Government of Syria's continued
engagement in certain conduct that formed the basis for the
national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11,
2004, including but not limited to its efforts to undermine the
stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.
This order will block the property and interests in
property of persons determined by the Secretary of the
Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of State, to be
responsible for, to have engaged in, to have facilitated, or to
have secured improper advantage as a result of, public
corruption by senior officials within the Government of Syria.
The order also revises a provision in Executive Order 13338 to
block the property and interests in property of persons
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation
with the Secretary of State, to be responsible for or otherwise
significantly contributing to actions or decisions of the
Government of Syria that have the purpose or effect of
undermining efforts to stabilize Iraq or of allowing the use of
Syrian territory or facilities to undermine efforts to
stabilize Iraq.
I delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority
to take such actions, after consultation with the Secretary of
State, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and
to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may
be necessary to carry out the purposes of my order.
I wish to emphasize, as well, my ongoing concern over the
destabilizing role Syria continues to play in Lebanon,
including its efforts to obstruct, through intimidation and
violence, Lebanon's democratic processes.
I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
George W. Bush.
The White House, February 13, 2008.
Executive Order
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Blocking Property of Additional Persons in Connection With the National
Emergency With Respect to Syria
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,
including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States
Code,
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, find that the Government of Syria continues to engage
in certain conduct that formed the basis for the national
emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004,
including but not limited to undermining efforts with respect
to the stabilization of Iraq. I further find that the conduct
of certain members of the Government of Syria and other persons
contributing to public corruption related to Syria, including
by misusing Syrian public assets or by misusing public
authority, entrenches and enriches the Government of Syria and
its supporters and thereby enables the Government of Syria to
continue to engage in certain conduct that formed the basis for
the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338. In
light of these findings, and to take additional steps with
respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order
13338 of May 11, 2004, I hereby order:
Section 1. (a) Except to the extent provided in section
203(b)(1), (3), and (4) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(1), (3) and
(4)), the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of
2000 (title IX, Public Law 106-387), or regulations, orders,
directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this
order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any
license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this
order, all property and interests in property that are in the
United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or
that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of
any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the
following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid,
exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: persons determined
by the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the
Secretary of State, to be responsible for, to have engaged in,
to have facilitated, or to have secured improper advantage as a
result of, public corruption by senior officials within the
Government of Syria.
(b) The prohibitions in paragraph (a) of this section
include, but are not limited to, (i) the making of any
contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to,
or for the benefit of any person designated pursuant to this
order, and (ii) the receipt of any contribution or provision of
funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Sec. 2. Section 3(a)(iv) of Executive Order 13338 is hereby
amended to read as follows:
``(iv) to be or to have been responsible for or
otherwise significantly contributing to actions taken
or decisions made by the Government of Syria that have
the purpose or effect of undermining efforts to
stabilize Iraq or of allowing the use of Syrian
territory or facilities to undermine efforts to
stabilize Iraq; or''.
Sec. 3. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or
within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose
of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate any of the
prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the
prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
Sec. 4. For purposes of this order:
(a) the term ``person'' means any individual or entity;
(b) the term ``entity'' means a partnership, association,
trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other
organization; and
(c) the term ``United States person'' means any United
States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized
under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within
the United States (including foreign branches), or any person
in the United States.
Sec. 5. I hereby determine that the making of donations of
the type specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C.
1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of, persons whose
property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to
section 1 of this order would seriously impair my ability to
deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order
13338 and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive
Order 13399 of April 25, 2006, and I hereby prohibit such
donations as provided by section 1 of this order.
Sec. 6. For those persons whose property and interests in
property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this order who
might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I
find that, because of the ability to transfer funds or other
assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of
measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render these
measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these
measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency
declared in Executive Order 13338 and relied upon for
additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399, there need be
no prior notice of a determination made pursuant to this order.
Sec. 7. The Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation
with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such
actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations,
and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as
may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The
Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions
to other officers and agencies of the United States Government,
consistent with applicable law. All executive agencies of the
United States Government are hereby directed to take all
appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the
provisions of this order and, where appropriate, to advise the
Secretary of the Treasury in a timely manner of the measures
taken.
Sec. 8. Nothing in this order is intended to affect the
continued effectiveness of any rules, regulations, orders,
licenses, or other forms of administrative action issued,
taken, or continued in effect heretofore or hereafter under 31
C.F.R. chapter V, except as expressly terminated, modified, or
suspended by or pursuant to this order.
Sec. 9. This order is not intended to, and does not, create
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at
law or in equity by any party against the United States, its
departments, agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its
officers or employees, or any other person.
George W. Bush.
The White House, February 13, 2008.