[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]