[House Document 106-276]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
106th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-276
SIX MONTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO
TERRORISTS WHO THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
__________
MESSAGE
From
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
A REPORT ON DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT
TO TERRORISTS WHO THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS
THAT WAS DECLARED IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 12947 OF JANUARY 23, 1995,
PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1703(c)
September 6, 2000.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committee on International Relations and ordered to be printed
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 (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(c), I
transmit herewith a 6-month periodic report on the national
emergency with respect to terrorists who threaten to disrupt
the Middle East peace process that was declared in Executive
Order 12947 of January 23, 1995.
William J. Clinton.
The White House, July 27, 2000.
President's Periodic Report on the National Emergency With Respect to
Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process
I hereby report to the Congress on the developments
concerning the national emergency with respect to terrorists
who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process that was
declared in Executive Order 12947 of January 23, 1995. This
report is submitted pursuant to 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 (``IEEPA''), 50
U.S.C. 1703(c).
1. On January 23, 1995, I signed Executive Order 12947,
``Prohibiting Transactions with Terrorists Who Threaten To
Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process'' (the ``Order'') (60
Fed. Reg. 5079, January 25, 1995). The Order blocks all
property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which there is any
interest of 12 terrorist organizations that threaten the Middle
East peace process as identified in an Annex to the Order. The
Order also blocks the property and interests in property
subject to U.S. jurisdiction of persons designated by the
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of the
Treasury and the Attorney General, who are found (1) to have
committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, acts of
violence that have the purpose or effect of disrupting the
Middle East peace process, or (2) to assist in, sponsor, or
provide financial, material, or technological support for, or
services in support of, such acts of violence. In addition, the
Order blocks all property and interests in property subject to
U.S. jurisdiction in which there is any interest of persons
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination
with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, to be
owned or controlled by, or to act for or on behalf of, any
other person designated pursuant to the Order (collectively
``Specially Designated Terrorists'' or ``SDTs'').
The Order further prohibits any transaction or dealing by a
United States person or within the United States in property or
interests in property of SDTs, including the making or
receiving of any contribution of funds, goods, or services to
or for the benefit of such persons. This prohibition includes
donations that are intended to relieve human suffering.
Designations of persons blocked pursuant to the Order are
effective upon the date of determination by the Secretary of
State or her delegate, or the Director of the Office of Foreign
Assets Control (``OFAC'') acting under authority delegated by
the Secretary of the Treasury. Public notice of blocking is
effective upon the date of filing with the Federal Register, or
upon prior actual notice.
Because terrorists' activities continue to threaten the
Middle East peace process and vital interests of the United
States in the Middle East, on January 19, 2000, I continued for
another year the national emergency declared on January 23,
1995, and the measures that took effect on January 24, 1995, to
deal with that emergency. This action was taken in accordance
with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C.
1622(d)).
2. On January 25, 1995, the Department of the Treasury
issued a Notice listing persons blocked pursuant to Executive
Order 12947 who have been designated by the President as
terrorist organizations threatening the Middle East peace
process or who have been found to be owned or controlled by, or
to be acting for or on behalf of, these terrorist organizations
(60 Fed. Reg. 5084, January 25, 1995). The notice identified 31
entities that act for or on behalf of the 12 Middle East
terrorist organizations listed in the Annex to Executive Order
12947, as well as 18 individuals who are leaders or
representatives of these groups. In addition, the notice
provided nine (9) name variations or pseudonyms used by the 18
individuals identified. The list identifies blocked persons who
have been found to have committed, or to pose a significant
risk of committing, acts of violence that have the purpose or
effect of disrupting the Middle East peace process or to have
assisted in, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or
technological support for, or services in support of, such acts
of violence, or are owned or controlled by, or act for or on
behalf of other blocked persons. The Department of the Treasury
issued three additional Notices adding the names of three
individuals, as well as their pseudonyms, to the List of SDTs
(60 Fed. Reg. 41152, August 11, 1995; 60 Fed. Reg. 44932,
August 29, 1995; and 60 Fed. Reg. 58435, November 27, 1995).
On August 20, 1998, I signed Executive Order 13099 (63 Fed.
Reg. 45167, August 20, 1998) amending Executive Order 12947 by
adding Usama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Ladin (a.k.a. Usama bin
Ladin) and two of his associates, Abu Hafs al-Masri and Rifa'i
Ahmad Taha Musa, and the Islamic Army (a.k.a. Al-Qaida, Islamic
Salvation Foundation, The Islamic Army for the Liberation of
the Holy Places, The World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews
and Crusaders, and The Group for the Preservation of the Holy
Sites) to the Annex of Executive order 12947 as terrorists who
threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process. Executive
Order 13099 does not limit or otherwise affect the other
provisions of Executive Order 12947.
On February 2, 1996, OFAC issued the Terrorism Sanctions
Regulations (the ``TSR'' or the ``Regulations'') (61 Fed. Reg.
3805, February 2, 1996). The TSR implement the President's
declaration of a national emergency and imposition of sanctions
against certain persons whose acts of violence have the purpose
or effect of disrupting the Middle East peace process. Pursuant
to Executive Order 13099 of August 20, 1998, ``Prohibiting
Transactions with Terrorists Who Threaten to Disrupt the Middle
East Peace Process'', (63 Fed. Reg. 45167, 3 CFR, 1998 Comp.,
p. 208) and the Regulations, on June 28, 1999, OFAC amended
appendix A to 31 CFR chapter V by adding three individuals and
one organization as persons who have been designated in the
Executive order as terrorists who threaten to disrupt the
Middle East peace process or SDTs (64 Fed. Reg. 35575, 31 CFR,
July 1, 1999). Any property subject to the jurisdiction of the
United States in which an SDT has an interest is blocked and
U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions
or in dealing in any property in which an SDT has an interest.
On January 19, 2000, I renewed for another year the
national emergency with respect to terrorists who threaten to
disrupt the Middle East peace process pursuant to IEEPA. This
renewal extended the current financial and trade sanctions
against SDTs in effect since 1995.
4. One hundred four thousand dollars are currently reported
to OFAC as being blocked. The blocking of these funds prevents
their conversion or other disposal for the benefit of the SDTs.
In June 1998, a large portion of the assets previously blocked
in one case were seized by the Department of Justice as assets
subject to civil forfeiture action based on the criminal money
laundering statutes.
Federal agencies will continue to work closely to identify
and block assets in which SDTs have an interest and will
vigorously enforce Executive Orders 12947 and 13099 against
Usama bin Ladin and other terrorists who threaten the Middle
East peace process.
5. Since January 25, 1995, OFAC has issued nine licenses
pursuant to the Regulations. These licenses authorize payment
of legal expenses of individuals and the disbursement of funds
for normal expenditures for the maintenance of family members,
the employment, receipt of salary and payment of educational
expenses for an SDT, secure storage of tangible assets of SDTs,
the release of assets blocked pending investigation, and
certain administrative transactions of individuals designated
pursuant to Executive Order 12947.
6. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the
six-month period from January 23 through July 22, 2000 that are
directly attributable to the exercise of powers and authorities
conferred by the declaration of the national emergency with
respect to organizations that disrupt the Middle East peace
process are estimated at approximately $235,000. These data do
not reflect certain costs of operations by the intelligence and
law enforcement communities.
7. Executive Orders 12947 and 13099 provide this
Administration with a tool for combating fundraising in this
country on behalf of organizations that use terror to undermine
the Middle East peace process. The orders make it harder for
such groups to finance these criminal activities by impeding
their access to sources of support in the United States and to
U.S. financial facilities. They are also intended to reach
charitable contributions to designated organizations and
individuals to preclude diversion of such donations to
terrorist activities.
The Executive orders demonstrate the United States
determination to confront and combat those who would seek to
destroy the Middle East peace process, and our commitment to
the global fight against terrorism. I shall continue to
exercise the powers at my disposal to apply economic sanctions
against extremists seeking to destroy the hopes of peaceful
coexistence between Arabs and Israelis as long as these
measures are appropriate, and will continue to report
periodically to the Congress on significant developments
pursuant to 50 U.S.C. 1703(c).