[House Document 108-196] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] 108th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 108-196 CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO THE WESTERN BALKANS __________ MESSAGE from THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING NOTIFICATION THAT THE WESTERN BALKANS EMERGENCY IS TO CONTINUE IN EFFECT BEYOND JUNE 26, 2004, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1622(d)June 24, 2004.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed To the Congress of the United States: Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622 (d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice, stating that the Western Balkans emergency is to continue in effect beyond June 26, 2004, to the Federal Register for publication. The most recent notice continuing this emergency was published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2003, 68 Fed. Reg. 37389. The crisis constituted by the actions of persons engaged in, or assisting, sponsoring, or supporting, (i) extremist violence in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and elsewhere in the Western Balkans region, or (ii) acts obstructing implementation of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia or United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, in Kosovo, that led to the declaration of a national emergency on June 26, 2001, has not been resolved. Subsequent to the declaration of the national emergency, acts obstructing implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement of 2001 in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have also become a concern. All of these actions are hostile to U.S. interests and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to the Western Balkans and maintain in force the comprehensive sanctions to respond to this threat. George W. Bush. The White House, June 24, 2004. Notice ---------- Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Western Balkans On June 26, 2001, by Executive Order 13219, I declared a national emergency with respect to the Western Balkans pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the actions of persons engaged in, or assisting, sponsoring, or supporting (i) extremist violence in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and elsewhere in the Western Balkans region, or (ii) acts obstructing implementation of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia or United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, in Kosovo. Subsequent to the declaration of the national emergency, the actions of persons obstructing implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement of 2001 in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia also became a pressing concern. I amended Executive Order 13219 on May 28, 2003, in Executive Order 13304 to address this concern and to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency. Because the actions of persons threatening the peace and international stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on June 26, 2001, and the measures adopted on that date and thereafter to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond June 26, 2004. 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 with respect to the Western Balkans. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress. George W. Bush. The White House, June 24, 2004.