    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1991, Book I)]
    [April 19, 1991]
    [Pages 407-408]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Presidential Determination No. 91-31--Memorandum on Disaster Assistance
    in the Persian Gulf Region
    April 19, 1991

    Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense

    Subject: Drawdown from DOD Stocks for Disaster Assistance in the Gulf
    Region

        Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 506(a)(2) of the
    Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(2)) (the
    ``Act''), I hereby determine that it is in the national interest of the
    United States to draw down defense articles from the stocks of the
    Department of Defense and defense services of the Department of
    Defense for the purpose of the pro-

    [[Page 408]]

    vision of international disaster assistance in the Gulf Region. Such
    assistance will be available to meet urgent needs in the countries of
    the region, including Iran and Iraq.
        Therefore, I hereby authorize the furnishing of up to $50 million of
    defense articles from the stocks of the Department of Defense and
    defense services of the Department of Defense, for the purposes and
    under the authorities of Chapter 9 of Part I of the Act.
        In addition, pursuant to the authorities vested in me by section
    552(c)(2) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 2348a(c)(2)), I hereby determine that,
    as the result of an unforeseen emergency, the provision of assistance
    under Chapter 6 of Paragraph II of the Act in amounts in excess of funds
    otherwise available for such assistance is important to the national
    interests of the United States; and that such unforeseen emergency
    requires that immediate provision of assistance under that chapter.
    Therefore, I hereby direct the drawdown of commodities and services from
    the inventory and resources of the Department of Defense of an aggregate
    value of up to $25 million, and authorize that they be furnished under
    the authority of that chapter.
        The Secretary of State is directed to inform the appropriate
    committees of the Congress of this determination and the obligation of
    funds under this authority, and to publish this memorandum in the
    Federal Register.

                                                                 George Bush

                        [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register,
                            12:17 p.m., May 7, 1991]