[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

                              ----------                              


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.

                                  
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