[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 13, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H922]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




BLOCKING PROPERTY OF ADDITIONAL PERSONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE NATIONAL 
  EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SYRIA--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
                   UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 110-95)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore laid before the House the following message 
from the President of the United States; which was read and, together 
with the accompanying papers, without objection, 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.

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