[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 125 (Wednesday, August 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10601-S10602]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DECLARATION OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY RELATIVE TO THE THREAT IN LEBANON 
    POSED BY THE ACTIONS OF CERTAIN PERSONS TO UNDERMINE LEBANON'S 
               LEGITIMATE DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS--PM 23

  The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the following message 
from the President of the United States, together with an accompanying 
report; which was referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs:

To the Congress of the United States:

[[Page S10602]]

  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 declaring a national emergency to deal with 
the threat in Lebanon posed by the actions of certain persons to 
undermine Lebanon's legitimate and democratically elected government or 
democratic institutions, to contribute to the deliberate breakdown in 
the rule of law in Lebanon, including through politically motivated 
violence and intimidation, to reassert Syrian control or contribute to 
Syrian interference in Lebanon or to infringe upon or undermine 
Lebanese sovereignty, contributing to political and economic 
instability in that country and the region. Such actions constitute an 
unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign 
policy of the United States.
  This order will block the property and interests in property of 
persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation 
with the Secretary of State, to have taken, or to pose a significant 
risk of taking, actions, including acts of violence, that have the 
purpose or effect of undermining Lebanon's democratic processes or 
institutions or contributing to the breakdown of the rule of law in 
Lebanon, supporting the reassertion of Syrian control or contributing 
to Syrian interference in Lebanon, or infringing upon or undermining 
Lebanese sovereignty. The order further authorizes the Secretary of the 
Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to block the 
property and interests in property of those persons determined to have 
materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financing, material, 
logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support 
of, such actions or any person whose property and interests in property 
are blocked pursuant to the order; to be a spouse or dependent child of 
any person whose property and interests in property are blocked 
pursuant to the order; or to be owned or controlled by, or to act or 
purport to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person 
whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the 
order.
  I delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with 
the Secretary of State, the authority 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 my order.
  I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, August 1, 2007.

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