    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [August 28, 2003]
    [Pages 1072-1073]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on Blocking Property of the
    Former Iraqi Regime, Its Senior Officials and Their Family Members, and
    Taking Certain Other Actions
    August 28, 2003

    Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
        Consistent with section 204(b) of the International Emergency
    Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), and section 301 of the
    National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1631, I hereby report that I have
    exercised my authority to expand the scope of the national emergency
    declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, to address the
    unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign
    policy of the United States posed by obstacles to the orderly
    reconstruction of Iraq, the restoration and maintenance of peace and
    security in that country, and the development of political,
    administrative, and economic institutions in Iraq.
        In United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1483 of May
    22, 2003, the U.N. Security Council decided that U.N. member states
    shall freeze the assets of the former Iraqi regime, Saddam Hussein, and
    other senior officials of the former Iraqi regime, and their immediate
    family members and cause the transfer of those assets to the Development
    Fund for Iraq. The assets of the former Iraqi regime, Saddam Hussein,
    and other senior Iraqi officials have already been frozen pursuant to
    the Iraqi Sanctions Regulations, 31 C.F.R. part 575, which implemented
    the 1990 Executive Orders that imposed economic sanctions with respect
    to Iraq. The order that I have now issued broadens the scope of persons
    whose assets may be frozen under those orders by adding the immediate
    family members of former Iraqi senior officials whose assets may be
    frozen. This order also allows for the confiscating and vesting of some
    of those assets and provides for the transfer of all vested assets to
    the Development Fund for Iraq in a manner consistent with paragraph 23
    of UNSCR 1483. The Development Fund for Iraq will be used by the
    Coalition Provisional Authority in a transparent manner

    [[Page 1073]]

    to meet the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, for the economic
    reconstruction and repair of Iraq's infrastructure, for the continued
    disarmament of Iraq, for the costs of Iraqi civilian administration, and
    for other purposes benefiting the Iraqi people. By this order and
    related measures, the United States Government is implementing the
    requirements of paragraph 23 of UNSCR 1483.
        Among other measures, unless licensed or otherwise authorized
    pursuant to this order, any attachment, judgment, decree, lien,
    execution, garnishment, or other judicial process with respect to assets
    blocked pursuant to this order is prohibited by section 1 of this order.
    I further note that Presidential Determination No. 2003-23 issued on May
    7, 2003, made inapplicable with respect to Iraq section 620A of the
    Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, Public Law 87-195, as amended, and any
    other provision of law that applies to countries that have supported
    terrorism, including, but not limited to, 28 U.S.C. 1605(a)(7), 28
    U.S.C. 1610, and section 201 of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.
        I have ordered that all property and interests in property of the
    former Iraqi regime or its state bodies, corporations, or agencies, or
    of the following persons, that are in the United States, that hereafter
    come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the
    possession or control of United States persons, are blocked and may not
    be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
        (a) the persons listed in the Annex to this order; and
        (b) persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in
    consultation with the Secretary of State,
           (i)   to be senior officials of the former Iraqi regime or their
                immediate family members; or
          (ii)   to be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to
                act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any of the
                persons listed in the Annex to this order or determined to
                be subject to this order.
        I have authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
    with the Secretary of State, to confiscate property that is blocked
    pursuant to this order and that he determines, in consultation with the
    Secretary of State, to belong to a person, organization, or country that
    has planned, authorized, aided, or engaged in armed hostilities against
    the United States. All right, title, and interest in any property so
    confiscated shall vest in the Department of the Treasury and shall
    promptly be transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq.
        I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
    with the Secretary of State, the authority to take such actions as may
    be necessary to carry out the purposes of my order, including the
    promulgation of rules and regulations. I have also authorized the
    Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State,
    to employ all powers granted to me by IEEPA and by section 5 of the
    United Nations Participation Act, 22 U.S.C. 287c, to carry out the
    purposes of this order.
        I am enclosing a copy of the executive order I have issued. The
    order is effective at 12:01 a.m. EDT on August 29, 2003.
             Sincerely,

                                                              George W. Bush

    Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
    House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the
    Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 29. An original was not available for verification of the content
    of this letter. The Executive order of August 28 is listed in Appendix D
    at the end of this volume.