[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 20 (Monday, May 17, 2004)]
[Pages 865-868]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13338--Blocking Property of Certain Persons and 
Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Syria

May 11, 2004

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the 
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), the Syria 
Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of

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2003, Public Law 108-175 (SAA), and section 301 of title 3, United 
States Code,
    I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, hereby 
determine that the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting 
terrorism, continuing its occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of 
mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining United States and 
international efforts with respect to the stabilization and 
reconstruction of Iraq constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to 
the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States 
and hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat. To 
address that threat, and to implement the SAA, I hereby order the 
following:
    Section 1. (a) The Secretary of State shall not permit the 
exportation or reexportation to Syria of any item on the United States 
Munitions List (22 C.F.R. part 121).
    (b) Except to the extent provided in regulations, orders, 
directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to the provisions of 
this order in a manner consistent with the SAA, and notwithstanding any 
license, permit, or authorization granted prior to the effective date of 
this order, (i) the Secretary of Commerce shall not permit the 
exportation or reexportation to Syria of any item on the Commerce 
Control List (15 C.F.R. part 774); and (ii) with the exception of food 
and medicine, the Secretary of Commerce shall not permit the exportation 
or reexportation to Syria of any product of the United States not 
included in section 1(b)(i) of this order.
    (c) No other agency of the United States Government shall permit the 
exportation or reexportation to Syria of any product of the United 
States, except to the extent provided in regulations, orders, 
directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order in a 
manner consistent with the SAA, and notwithstanding any license, permit, 
or authorization granted prior to the effective date of this order.
    Sec. 2. The Secretary of Transportation shall not permit any air 
carrier owned or controlled by Syria to provide foreign air 
transportation as defined in 49 U.S.C. 40102(a)(23), except that he may, 
to the extent consistent with Department of Transportation regulations, 
permit such carriers to charter aircraft to the Government of Syria for 
the transport of Syrian government officials to and from the United 
States on official Syrian government business. In addition, the 
Secretary of Transportation shall prohibit all takeoffs and landings in 
the United States, other than those associated with an emergency, by any 
such air carrier when engaged in scheduled international air services.
    Sec. 3. (a) Except to the extent provided in section 203(b)(1), (3), 
and (4) of the IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(1), (3), and (4)), and the Trade 
Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 (title IX, Public 
Law 106-387) (TSRA), or regulations, orders, directives, or licenses 
that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any 
contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the 
effective date of this order, all property and interests in property 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, including their overseas 
branches, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, 
withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: persons who are determined by the 
Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State,
 (i)         to be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly 
            contributing to the Government of Syria's provision of safe 
            haven to or other support for any person whose property or 
            interests in property are blocked under United States law 
            for terrorism-related reasons, including, but not limited 
            to, Hamas, Hizballah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular 
            Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Front for 
            the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, and any persons 
            designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 
            23, 2001;
 (ii)        to be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly 
            contributing to the Government of Syria's military or 
            security presence in Lebanon;
 (iii)       to be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly 
            contributing to

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            the Government of Syria's pursuit of the development and 
            production of chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons and 
            medium- and long-range surface-to-surface missiles;
 (iv)        to be or to have been directing or otherwise significantly 
            contributing to any steps taken by the Government of Syria 
            to undermine United States and international efforts with 
            respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq; or
 (v)         to be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting to 
            act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person 
            whose property or interests in property are blocked pursuant 
            to this order.
    (b) The prohibitions in paragraph (a) of this section include, but 
are not limited to, (i) the making of any contribution of funds, goods, 
or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property or 
interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and (ii) the 
receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services 
from any such person.
    Sec. 4. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the 
United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or 
avoiding, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in 
this order is prohibited.
    (b) Any conspiracy formed to violate the prohibitions set forth in 
this order is prohibited.
    Sec. 5. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type 
of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of the IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 
1702(b)(2)) would seriously impair the ability to deal with the national 
emergency declared in this order, and hereby prohibit, (i) the 
exportation or reexportation of such donated articles to Syria as 
provided in section 1(b) of this order; and (ii) the making of such 
donations by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and 
interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 3 of this order.
    Sec. 6. For purposes of this order:
    (a) the term ``person'' means an individual or entity;
    (b) the term ``entity'' means a partnership, association, trust, 
joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
    (c) the term ``United States person'' means any United States 
citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of 
the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States 
(including foreign branches), or any person in the United States;
    (d) the term ``Government of Syria'' means the Government of the 
Syrian Arab Republic, its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled 
entities; and
    (e) the term ``product of the United States'' means: for the 
purposes of subsection 1(b), any item subject to the Export 
Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. parts 730-774); and for the 
purposes of subsection 1(c), any item subject to the export licensing 
jurisdiction of any other United States Government agency.
    Sec. 7. With respect to the prohibitions contained in section 1 of 
this order, consistent with subsection 5(b) of the SAA, I hereby 
determine that it is in the national security interest of the United 
States to waive, and hereby waive application of subsection 5(a)(1) and 
subsection 5(a)(2)(A) of the SAA so as to permit the exportation or 
reexportation of certain items as specified in the Department of 
Commerce's General Order No. 2 to Supplement No. 1, 15 C.F.R. part 736, 
as issued consistent with this order and as may be amended pursuant to 
the provisions of this order and in a manner consistent with the SAA. 
This waiver is made pursuant to the SAA only to the extent that 
regulation of such exports or reexports would not otherwise fall within 
my constitutional authority to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs and 
protect national security.
    Sec. 8. With respect to the prohibitions contained in section 2 of 
this order, consistent with subsection 5(b) of the SAA, I hereby 
determine that it is in the national security interest of the United 
States to waive, and hereby waive, application of subsection 5(a)(2)(D) 
of the SAA insofar as it pertains to: aircraft of any air carrier owned 
or controlled by Syria chartered by the Syrian government for the 
transport of Syrian government officials to and from the United

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States on official Syrian government business, to the extent consistent 
with Department of Transportation regulations; takeoffs or landings for 
non-traffic stops of aircraft of any such air carrier that is not 
engaged in scheduled international air services; takeoffs and landings 
associated with an emergency; and overflights of United States 
territory.
    Sec. 9. I hereby direct the Secretary of State to take such actions, 
including the promulgation of rules and regulations, as may be necessary 
to carry out subsection 1(a) of this order. I hereby direct the 
Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to 
take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, 
as may be necessary to carry out subsection 1(b) of this order. I direct 
the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and 
regulations, as may be necessary to carry out section 2 of this order. 
The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the 
promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted 
to the President by the IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out sections 
3, 4, and 5 of this order. The Secretaries of State, Commerce, 
Transportation, and the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions 
to other officers and agencies of the United States Government 
consistent with applicable law. The Secretary of State, in consultation 
with the Secretaries of Commerce, Transportation, and the Treasury, as 
appropriate, is authorized to exercise the functions and authorities 
conferred upon the President in subsection 5(b) of the SAA and to 
redelegate these functions and authorities consistent with applicable 
law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to 
take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the 
provisions of this order and, where appropriate, to advise the 
Secretaries of State, Commerce, Transportation, and the Treasury in a 
timely manner of the measures taken.
    Sec. 10. This order is not intended to create, and does not create, 
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or 
in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, 
agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its officers or employees, or 
any other person.
    Sec. 11. For those persons whose property or interests in property 
are blocked pursuant to section 3 of this order who might have a 
constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the 
ability to transfer funds or assets instantaneously, prior notice to 
such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render 
these measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these 
measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared 
in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or 
determination made pursuant to this order.
    Sec. 12. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 
Secretary of State, is authorized to submit the recurring and final 
reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this 
order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), and 
section 204(c) of the IEEPA, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c).
    Sec. 13. (a) This order is effective at 12:01 eastern daylight time 
on May 12, 2004.
    (b) This order shall be transmitted to the Congress and published in 
the Federal Register.
                                                George W. Bush
The White House,
May 11, 2004.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:07 a.m., May 12, 2004]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on May 
13.