    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [February 26, 2004]
    [Pages 283-284]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress on Continuation and Expansion of the National
    Emergency With Respect to Cuba
    February 26, 2004

    To the Congress of the United States:
        Pursuant to section 1 of title I of Public Law 65-24, ch. 30, 50
    U.S.C. 191, and sections 201 and 301 of the National Emergencies Act, 50
    U.S.C. 1601 et seq., I hereby report that I have exercised my statutory
    authority to continue the national emergency declared in Proclamation
    6867 of March 1, 1996, in response to the Cuban government's destruction
    of two unarmed U.S.-registered civilian aircraft in international
    airspace north of Cuba. Additionally, I have exercised my authority to
    expand the scope of the national emergency as, over the last year, the
    Cuban government, which is a designated state-sponsor of terrorism, has
    taken a series of steps to destabilize relations with the United States,
    including threatening to abrogate the Migration Accords with the United
    States and to close the U.S. Interests Section. This conduct has caused
    a sudden and worsening disturbance of U.S. international relations.
        In my proclamation (copy attached), I have authorized and directed
    the Secretary of Homeland Security to make and issue such rules and
    regulations that the Secretary may find appropriate to prevent
    unauthorized U.S. vessels from entering Cuban territorial waters.
        I have authorized these rules and regulations as a result of the
    Cuban government's demonstrated willingness to use reckless force,
    including deadly force, in the ostensible enforcement of its
    sovereignty. I have also authorized these rules and regulations in an
    effort to deny resources to the repressive Cuban government that may be
    used by that government to support terrorist activities and carry out
    excessive use of force against innocent victims, including U.S. citizens
    and other persons residing in the United States, and threaten a
    disturbance of international relations. Accordingly, I have continued
    and expanded the national emergency in response to these threats.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     February 26, 2004.

    Note: The proclamation and the notice on continuation are listed in
    Appendix D at the end of this volume.

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