    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 17 (Monday, May 1, 2006)]
    [Pages 796-797]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Message to the Congress Transmitting an Executive Order Blocking
    Property of Additional Persons in Connection With the National Emergency
    With Respect to Syria

    April 26, 2006

    To the Congress of the United States:

        Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, as
    amended (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I hereby report that I have
    issued an Executive Order blocking property of persons in connection
    with the terrorist act in Beirut, Lebanon, on February 14, 2005, that
    resulted in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq
    Hariri and the deaths of 22 others, and other bombings or assassination
    attempts in Lebanon since October 1, 2004, that are related to Hariri's
    assassination or that implicate the Government of Syria or its officers
    or agents. I issued this order to take additional steps with respect to
    the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11,
    2004, concerning certain actions of the Government of Syria. In
    Executive Order 13338, I determined that the actions of the Government
    of Syria in supporting terrorism, continuing its occupation of Lebanon,
    pursuing weapons of mass destruction, and undermining United States and
    international efforts in Iraq constituted an unusual and extraordinary
    threat to the

    [[Page 797]]

    national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and
    declared a national emergency to deal with that threat.
        The United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1595 of April 7,
    2005, established the international independent investigation Commission
    (the ``Commission''), reiterated its call for the strict respect of the
    sovereignty of Lebanon, and reaffirmed its unequivocal condemnation of
    the February 14, 2005, terrorist bombing that killed Lebanese Prime
    Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others. The Commission's charter included
    identifying the bombing perpetrators, sponsors, organizers, and
    accomplices. United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1636 of
    October 31, 2005, called upon all States to provide necessary assistance
    to the Commission concerning its investigation into the February 14,
    2005, terrorist bombing and to freeze the assets of those persons
    designated by the Commission or the Government of Lebanon as suspected
    of involvement in this terrorist act, upon notification of such
    designation to, and agreement of, the Committee of the Security Council
    established by UNSCR 1636. United Nations Security Council Resolution
    1644 of December 15, 2005, condemned other terrorist attacks in Lebanon
    since October 2004 and reaffirmed that all those involved in these
    attacks must be held accountable for these crimes, and in doing so,
    authorized the Commission to extend its technical assistance to Lebanese
    authorities with regard to their investigations regarding the terrorist
    attacks perpetrated in Lebanon since October 1, 2004.
        In view of UNSCR 1636, my new order takes additional steps with
    respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 by
    blocking the property and interests in property of persons determined by
    the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of
    State, to be, or to have been, involved in the planning, sponsoring,
    organizing, or perpetrating of the terrorist act on February 14, 2005,
    that resulted in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri
    and the deaths of 22 others, or any other bombing, assassination, or
    assassination attempt in Lebanon since October 1, 2004, that is related
    to Hariri's assassination or that implicates the Government of Syria or
    its officers and agents, or to have obstructed or otherwise impeded the
    work of the Commission. The order further authorizes the Secretary of
    the Treasury, after consultation with the Secretary of State, to
    designate for blocking those persons determined to have materially
    assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological
    support for, or goods or services in support of, any such terrorist act,
    bombings, or assassination attempts, or any person designated pursuant
    to this order, or to be owned or controlled by, or acting or purporting
    to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person
    designated pursuant to this order.
        I delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation
    with the Secretary of State, the authority to take such actions,
    including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all
    powers granted to the President by IEEPA and the United Nations
    Participation Act, as amended (22 U.S.C. 287c), as may be necessary to
    carry out the purposes of my order. The order was effective at 12:01
    a.m. eastern daylight time on April 26, 2006.
        I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
                                                    George W. Bush
     The White House,
     April 26, 2006.