[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2477-H2478]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH RESPECT TO SOMALIA--MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF 
                THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 111-103)

  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, referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs and ordered to be printed:

To the Congress of the United States:
  Consistent with subsection 204(b) of the International Emergency 
Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b) (IEEPA), and section 301 of the 
National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1631 (NEA), I hereby report that I 
have issued an Executive Order (the ``order'') blocking the property of 
certain persons contributing to the conflict in Somalia. In that order, 
I declared a national emergency to deal with the unusual and 
extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the 
United States posed by that conflict, as described below.
  The United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1844 of November 
20, 2008, reaffirmed its condemnation of all acts of violence in 
Somalia and incitement

[[Page H2478]]

to violence inside Somalia, and expressed its concern at all acts 
intended to prevent or block a peaceful political process. United 
Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1844 also expressed grave 
concern over the recent increase in acts of piracy and armed robbery at 
sea against vessels off the coast of Somalia, and noted the role piracy 
may play in financing violations of the arms embargo on Somalia imposed 
by UNSCR 733 of January 23, 1992. In UNSCR 1844, the United Nations 
Security Council determined that the situation in Somalia poses a 
threat to international peace and security in the region and called on 
member States to apply certain measures against persons responsible for 
the continuing conflict. The United Nations Security Council has 
continued to express grave concern about the crisis in Somalia in UNSCR 
1846 of December 2, 2008, UNSCR 1851 of December 16, 2008, and UNSCR 
1872 of May 26, 2009.
  Pursuant to the IEEPA and the NEA, I have determined that the 
deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence 
in Somalia, and acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast 
of Somalia, constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the 
national security and foreign policy of the United States. The order 
declares a national emergency to deal with this threat.
  The order is not targeted at the entire country of Somalia, but 
rather is intended to target those who threaten peace and stability in 
Somalia, who inhibit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Somalia 
or the distribution of such assistance in Somalia, or who supply arms 
or related materiel in violation of the arms embargo. The order blocks 
the property and interests in property in the United States, or in the 
possession or control of United States persons, of the persons listed 
in the Annex to the order, as well as of any person determined by the 
Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:

  to have engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the 
peace, security, or stability of Somalia, including but not limited to 
(1) acts that threaten the Djibouti Agreement of August 18, 2008, or 
the political process, or (2) acts that threaten the Transitional 
Federal Institutions, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), or 
other international peacekeeping operations related to Somalia;
  to have obstructed the delivery of humanitarian assistance to 
Somalia, or access to, or distribution of, humanitarian assistance in 
Somalia; or
  to have directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to 
Somalia, or to have been the recipient in the territory of Somalia of, 
arms or any related materiel, or any technical advice, training, or 
assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to 
military activities.

  The designation criteria will be applied in accordance with 
applicable Federal law including, where appropriate, the First 
Amendment to the United States Constitution. The designation criteria 
will also be applied taking into consideration the arms embargo on 
Somalia imposed by UNSCR 733 of January 23, 1992, as elaborated upon 
and amended by subsequent resolutions.
  The order also authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to designate for blocking any 
person determined to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided 
financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or 
services in support of, the activities described above or any person 
whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the 
order. I determined that, among other threats to the peace, security, 
or stability of Somalia, acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea off the 
coast of Somalia threaten the peace, security, or stability of Somalia. 
I further authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation 
with the Secretary of State, to designate for blocking any person 
(defined as an individual or entity) determined to be owned or 
controlled by, or to have acted or purported 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 and the United Nations Participation 
Act, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the order. All 
executive agencies are directed to take all appropriate measures within 
their authority to carry out the provisions of the order.
  The order, a copy of which is enclosed, became effective at 12:01 
a.m. eastern daylight time on April 13, 2010.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, April 13, 2010.

                          ____________________