    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 31 (Monday, August 6, 2007)]
    [Pages 1037-1038]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Message to the Congress on Blocking Property of Persons Undermining the
    Sovereignty of Lebanon or Its Democratic Processes and Institutions

    August 1, 2007

    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 declaring a national emergency to deal with
    the threat in Lebanon posed by the actions of certain persons to
    undermine Lebanon's legitimate and democratically elected government or
    democratic institutions, to contribute to the deliberate breakdown in
    the rule of law in Lebanon, including through politically motivated
    violence and intimidation, to reassert Syrian control or contribute to
    Syrian interference in Lebanon or to infringe upon or undermine Lebanese
    sovereignty, contributing to political and economic instability in that
    country and the region. Such actions constitute an unusual and
    extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the
    United States.
        This order will block the property and interests in property of
    persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
    with the Secretary of State, to have taken, or to pose a significant
    risk of taking, actions, including acts of violence, that have the
    purpose or effect of undermining Lebanon's democratic processes or
    institutions or contributing to the breakdown of the rule of law in
    Lebanon, supporting the reassertion of Syrian control or contributing to
    Syrian interference in Lebanon, or infringing upon or undermining
    Lebanese sovereignty. The order further authorizes the Secretary of the
    Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to block the
    property and interests in property of those persons determined to have
    materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financing, material,
    logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support
    of, such actions or any person whose property and interests in property
    are blocked pursuant to the order; to be a spouse or dependent child of
    any person whose property and interests in property are

    [[Page 1038]]

    blocked pursuant to the order; or to be owned or controlled by, or to
    act or purport to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any
    person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to
    the order.
        I delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury, in 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 as may be necessary to carry out the
    purposes of my order.
        I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.
                                                    George W. Bush
     The White House,
     August 1, 2007.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 2.