    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 11, 2004]
    [Pages 853-854]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress Transmitting the Executive Order Blocking
    Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods
    to Syria
    May 11, 2004

    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, I hereby report that I have
    issued an Executive Order (order) in which I declared a national
    emergency with respect to the threat constituted by certain actions of
    the Government of Syria. Further, in accordance with subsection 5(b) of
    the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of
    2003 (SAA), Public Law 108-175, this message also constitutes the report
    on my exercise of the waiver authority pursuant to that statute.
        On December 12, 2003, I signed into law the SAA in order to
    strengthen the ability of the United States to effectively confront the
    threat to U.S. national security posed by Syria's support for terrorism,
    its military presence in Lebanon, its pursuit of weapons of mass
    destruction, and its actions to undermine U.S. and international efforts
    with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq. These
    policies by the Government of Syria directly threaten regional stability
    and undermine the U.S. goal of a comprehensive Middle East peace.
    Despite many months of diplomatic efforts to convince the Government of
    Syria to change its behavior, Syria has not taken significant, concrete
    steps to address the full range of U.S. concerns, which were clearly
    conveyed by Secretary of State Powell to Syrian President Asad in May
    2003. I find the actions, policies, and circumstances described above
    sufficiently grave to constitute a threat to the national security,
    foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and thus have declared
    a national emergency to address that threat.
        In implementation of subsection 5(a) of the SAA, in the order I
    directed that action be taken to prohibit the export to Syria of
    products of the United States other than food and medicine, including
    but not limited to items on the United States Munitions List or Commerce
    Control List, and I prohibited commercial air services between Syria and
    the United States by aircraft of any air carrier owned or controlled by
    Syria, as well as certain non-traffic stops by such aircraft.
        It is important to the national security interests of the United
    States, however, that certain discrete categories of exports continue in
    order to support activities of the United States Government and United
    Nations agencies, to facilitate travel by United States persons, for
    certain humanitarian purposes, to help maintain aviation safety, and to
    promote the exchange of information. Also, it is important to U.S.
    national security interests that aviation-related sanctions take into
    account humanitarian and diplomatic concerns as well as the
    international obligations of the United States.
        Accordingly, I have waived the application of subsections 5(a)(1)
    and 5(a)(2)(A) of the SAA to permit the export and reexport of: products
    in support of activities of the United States Government to the extent
    that such exports would not otherwise fall within my constitutional
    authority to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs and protect national
    security; medicines on the Commerce Control List and medical devices;
    aircraft parts and components for purposes of flight safety; exports and
    reexports consistent with the 5(a)(2)(D) waiver outlined below;
    information and informational materials, as well as telecommunications
    equipment and associated items to

    [[Page 854]]

    promote the free flow of information; certain software and technology;
    products in support of United Nations operations; and, certain exports
    and reexports of a temporary nature. These items are further identified
    in the Department of Commerce's General Order No. 2, as issued
    consistent with my order. I have also waived the application of
    subsection 5(a)(2)(D) to permit the following with respect to aircraft
    of any air carrier owned or controlled by Syria: takeoffs or landings of
    such aircraft when chartered by the Government of Syria to transport
    Syrian government officials to the United States on official Syrian
    government business; takeoffs or landings for non-traffic stops of such
    aircraft that are not engaged in scheduled international air services;
    takeoffs and landings associated with an emergency; and overflights of
    U.S. territory.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     May 11, 2004.

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