[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 18 (Monday, May 12, 2008)]
[Page 671]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Notice--Continuation of the National Emergency Blocking Property of 
Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods to Syria

May 7, 2008

    On May 11, 2004, pursuant to my authority under the International 
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) and the Syria 
Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (Public 
Law 108-175), I issued Executive Order 13338, in which I declared a 
national emergency with respect to the actions of the Government of 
Syria. To deal with this national emergency, Executive Order 13338 
authorized the blocking of property of certain persons and prohibited 
the exportation or re-exportation of certain goods to Syria. On April 
25, 2006, and February 13, 2008, I issued Executive Order 13399 and 
Executive Order 13460, respectively, to take additional steps with 
respect to this national emergency.
    I took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary 
threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the 
United States constituted by the actions of the Government of Syria in 
supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of 
Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs 
including the recent revelation of illicit nuclear cooperation with 
North Korea, and undermining U.S. and international efforts with respect 
to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.
    Because the actions and policies of the Government of Syria continue 
to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, 
foreign policy, and economy of the United States, the national emergency 
declared on May 11, 2004, and the measures adopted on that date and on 
April 25, 2006, in Executive Order 13399, and on February 13, 2008, in 
Executive Order 13460, to deal with that emergency, must continue in 
effect beyond May 11, 2008. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) 
of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 
1 year the national emergency authorizing the blocking of property of 
certain persons and prohibiting the exportation or re-exportation of 
certain goods to Syria.
    This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and 
transmitted to the Congress.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 May 7, 2008.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 9:26 a.m., May 8, 2008]

Note: This notice was published in the Federal Register on May 9.