Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I) - Message to the Congress on Additional Measures Prohibiting the Importation of Rough Diamonds From Sierra Leone

[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[May 23, 2001]
[Pages 568-570]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Congress on Additional Measures Prohibiting the 
Importation of Rough Diamonds From Sierra Leone
May 23, 2001

To the Congress of the United States:
    Pursuant to section 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, I hereby report that I have exercised 
my statutory authority to expand the scope of an existing national 
emergency in response to the unusual and extraordinary threat posed to 
the foreign policy of the United States by the Government of Liberia's 
complicity in the illicit trade in diamonds from Sierra Leone by the 
insurgent Revolutionary United Front of Sierra Leone (RUF) and by the 
Government of Liberia's other forms of support for the RUF. I also have 
exercised my statutory authority to issue an Executive Order that

[[Page 569]]

prohibits the importation into the United States of all rough diamonds 
from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated in Liberia. These 
actions are mandated in part by United Nations Security Council 
Resolution 1343 of March 7, 2001.
    The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, is authorized to issue regulations in exercise of my authorities 
under the IEEPA and the United Nations Participation Act, 22 U.S.C. 
287c, to implement this prohibition. All Federal agencies are also 
directed to take actions within their authority to carry out the 
provisions of the Executive Order.
    I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. The 
Order was effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 23, 2001.
    I have authorized these measures in furtherance of Executive Order 
13194 of January 18, 2001, and in response to the Government of 
Liberia's continuing facilitation of and participation in the RUF's 
illicit trade in diamonds from Sierra Leone and its other forms of 
support for the RUF. The Government of Liberia's actions in this regard 
constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of 
the United States because they directly challenge United States foreign 
policy objectives in the region and the rule-based international order 
that is crucial to the peace and prosperity of the United States.
    In Executive Order 13194, President Clinton responded to the RUF's 
illicit arms-for-diamonds trade that fuels the brutal, decade-long civil 
war in Sierra Leone by declaring a national emergency and, consistent 
with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1306, by prohibiting the 
importation into the United States of all rough diamonds from Sierra 
Leone except for those importations controlled through the certificate 
of origin regime of the Government of Sierra Leone. In a report issued 
on December 14, 2000, the United Nations Panel of Experts established 
pursuant to resolution 1306 found that diamonds represent a major and 
primary source of income for the RUF to sustain and advance its military 
activities; that the bulk of the RUF diamonds leaves Sierra Leone 
through Liberia; and that such illicit trade cannot be conducted without 
the permission and involvement of Liberian government officials at the 
highest levels. The Panel recommended, among other things, a complete 
embargo on all diamonds from Liberia until Liberia demonstrates 
convincingly that it is no longer involved in the trafficking of arms 
to, or diamonds from, Sierra Leone.
    On March 7, 2001, the Security Council unanimously adopted 
resolution 1343 to impose sanctions against the Government of Liberia. 
The resolution determined that the Government of Liberia's active 
support for the RUF in Sierra Leone and other armed rebel groups in 
neighboring countries constitutes a threat to international peace and 
security in the region and decided that all states shall impose an 
immediate arms embargo on Liberia and also shall impose travel and 
diamond bans on Liberia on May 7, 2001, unless the Council determined 
before that date that the Government of Liberia had ceased its support 
for the RUF and for other armed rebel groups and, in particular, had 
taken a number of concrete steps identified in the resolution. In 
furtherance of this resolution, the Secretaries of State, Commerce, and 
Defense have taken steps, under their respective authorities, to 
implement the arms embargo.
    With regard to the travel ban and diamond embargo, the Government of 
Liberia has failed, notwithstanding the two-month implementation period 
granted by resolution 1343, to honor its commitments to cease its 
support for the RUF and other armed rebel groups. As a result, the 
Security Council did not determine that Liberia has complied with the 
demands of the Council.
    In Proclamation 7359 of October 10, 2000, President Clinton 
suspended the entry as immigrants and nonimmigrants of

[[Page 570]]

persons who plan, engage in, or benefit from activities that support the 
RUF or that otherwise impede the peace process in Sierra Leone. The 
application of that Proclamation implements the travel ban imposed by 
resolution 1343.
    Finally, for the reasons discussed above and in the enclosed 
Executive Order, I also have found that the Government of Liberia's 
continuing facilitation of and participation in the RUF's illicit trade 
in diamonds from Sierra Leone and its other forms of support for the RUF 
contribute to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy 
of the United States described in Executive Order 13194 with respect to 
which the President declared a national emergency. In order to deal with 
that threat, and consistent with resolution 1343 and this finding, I 
have taken action to prohibit the importation into the United States of 
all rough diamonds from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated 
there, in order to contribute to the international effort to bring a 
prompt end to the illicit arms-for-diamonds trade by which the RUF 
perpetuates the tragic conflict in Sierra Leone. This action, as well as 
those discussed above, also expresses our outrage at the Government of 
Liberia's ongoing contribution to human suffering in Sierra Leone and 
other neighboring countries, as well as its continuing failure to abide 
by international norms and the rule of law.

                                                          George W. Bush

 The White House,

 May 23, 2001.

Note: The Executive order of May 22 is listed in Appendix D at the end 
of this volume.