[House Document 107-102]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
107th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - House Document 107-102
PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SIERRA LEONE
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TRANSMITTING
A SIX-MONTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO
SIERRA LEONE THAT WAS DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13194 OF JANUARY 18,
2001, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1641(c)
July 17, 2001.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
89-011 WASHINGTON : 2001
To the Congress of the United States:
As required by section 401(c) of the National Emergencies
Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c), and section 204(c) of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), I transmit
herewith a 6-month periodic report on the national emergency
with respect to Sierra Leone that was declared in Executive
Order 13194 of January 18, 2001.
George W. Bush.
The White House, July 17, 2001.
President's Periodic Report on the National Emergency With Respect to
Sierra Leone
I hereby report to the Congress on developments over the
course of the past 6 months concerning the national emergency
declared in Executive Order 13194 of January 18, 2001, in
response to the actions of the insurgent Revolutionary United
Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone and pursuant to which the United
States imposed a general ban on the direct and indirect
importation of all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone to the
United States, except those imports controlled through the
Certificate of Origin regime of the Government of Sierra Leone.
On May 22, 2001, I issued Executive Order 13213, which expanded
the scope of that national emergency to include actions of the
Government of Liberia in support of the RUF, and prohibited the
importation of all rough diamonds from Liberia. This report is
submitted pursuant to section 204(c) of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), and section
401(c) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c). This
report discusses only matters concerning the national emergency
declared in response to the actions of the RUF in Sierra Leone,
and the embargo on the importation of rough diamonds from
Sierra Leone and Liberia (``Conflict Diamonds'').
On January 18, 2001, President Clinton issued Executive
Order 13194 (66 FR 7389, January 23, 2001), in which he
declared a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to
United States foreign policy by: (1) the RUF's illicit trade in
diamonds to fund its operations and procurement of weapons in
the brutal, decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone; (2) the
RUF's flagrant violation of the Lome Peace Agreement of July 7,
1999; and (3) the RUF's attacks on personnel of the United
Nations Mission in Sierra Leone. In order to implement United
Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1306 of July 5,
2000, and to ensure that the importation into the United States
of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone will not contribute further
financial support to the RUF, the order prohibits the direct or
indirect importation into the United States of all rough
diamonds from Sierra Leone except for those importations
controlled through the Certificate of Origin regime of the
Government of Sierra Leone. The exemption for importations of
diamonds controlled by the Government of Sierra Leone seeks to
avoid undermining the legitimate diamond trade or diminishing
confidence in the integrity of the legitimate diamond industry.
On May 22, 2001, I issued Executive Order 13213 (66 FR
28829, May 24, 2001), to expand the scope of the national
emergency declared in Executive Order 13194 and to take
additional measures with respect to prohibiting the importation
of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone. In order to further
theobjectives of Executive Order 13194, to implement UNSCR 1343 of
March 7, 2001, and to counteract, among other things, the Government of
Liberia's facilitation of and participation in the RUF's illicit trade
in diamonds through Liberia, Executive Order 13213 prohibits the direct
or indirect importation into the United States of all rough diamonds
from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated in Liberia.
1. OFAC has disseminated details of this program to the
financial and international trade communities by both
electronic and conventional media. In the 6-month period since
January 18, 2001, OFAC has not issued any specific licenses
authorizing transactions otherwise prohibited by the Executive
Orders and has neither assessed nor collected any civil
monetary penalty for a violation of the Executive Orders. OFAC,
in cooperation with the U.S. Customs Service, is closely
monitoring potential violations of the general bans on the
importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone which are not
controlled through the Certificate of Origin regime and of all
rough diamonds from Liberia.
2. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the
6-month period from January 18 through July 17, 2001, that are
directly attributable to the exercise of powers and authorities
conferred by the declaration of a national emergency with
respect to Sierra Leone are reported to be approximately
$100,000, most of which represent wage and salary costs for
Federal personnel. Personnel costs were largely centered in the
Department of the Treasury (particularly in the Office of
Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Customs Service, the Office of
the Under Secretary for Enforcement, and the Office of the
General Counsel), the Department of State (particularly the
Bureaus of Economic and Business Affairs, African Affairs,
International Organizations and the Office of the Legal
Adviser), and the Department of Commerce (the Bureau of Export
Administration and the General Counsel's Office).
3. The political and security situation in Sierra Leone has
improved considerably since the issuance of Executive Order
13194 on January 18, 2001. While the need for continuation of
the order remains, we have seen significant actions by the RUF
to suggest that the totality of actions taken in parallel with
the order, such as an expanded UN peacekeeping force in Sierra
Leone, British training of the Sierra Leone Army, the effective
rebuff by the Guinean military of RUF incursions, and UN
Security Council sanctions against RUF sponsor President Taylor
of Liberia are effective in wearing down RUF effectiveness and
its will to continue the conflict. The RUF, however, remains an
active and dangerous organization, and until the threat from
the RUF is completely eliminated, along with its control of and
illegal exploitation of diamond mining areas, the threat to
U.S. foreign policy remains and Executive Order 13194 will
remain in effect. I shall exercise the powers at my disposal to
deal with the threat posed to the foreign policy of the United
States by the actions of the insurgent Revolutionary United
Front and will continue to report periodically to the Congress
on significant developments concerning the national emergency
declared with respect to Sierra Leone and expanded in scope
with respect to Liberia.