Message to Congress On Syria
Sanctions
(May 11, 2004)
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
Consistent with subsection 204(b) of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1703(b) (IEEPA), and section
301 of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1631, I hereby report
that I have issued an Executive
Order (order) in which I declared a national emergency with respect
to the threat constituted by certain actions of the Government
of Syria. Further, in accordance with subsection 5(b) of the Syria
Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (SAA), Public Law 108-175, this message also constitutes the report
on my exercise of the waiver authority pursuant to that statute.
On December 12, 2003, I signed into law the SAA in
order to strengthen the ability of the United States to effectively
confront the threat to U.S. national security posed by Syria's support
for terrorism, its military presence in Lebanon, its pursuit of weapons
of mass destruction, and its actions to undermine U.S. and international
efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.
These policies by the Government of Syria directly threaten regional
stability and undermine the U.S. goal of a comprehensive Middle East
peace. Despite many months of diplomatic efforts to convince the Government
of Syria to change its behavior, Syria has not taken significant, concrete
steps to address the full range of U.S. concerns, which were clearly
conveyed by Secretary of State Powell to Syrian President Asad in May
2003. I find the actions, policies, and circumstances described above
sufficiently grave to constitute a threat to the national security,
foreign policy, and economy of the United States, and thus have declared
a national emergency to address that threat.
In implementation of subsection 5(a) of the SAA, in
the order I directed that action be taken to prohibit the export to
Syria of products of the United States other than food and medicine,
including but not limited to items on the United States Munitions List
or Commerce Control List, and I prohibited commercial air services between
Syria and the United States by aircraft of any air carrier owned or
controlled by Syria, as well as certain non-traffic stops by such aircraft.
It is important to the national security interests
of the United States, however, that certain discrete categories of exports
continue in order to support activities of the United States Government
and United Nations agencies, to facilitate travel by United States persons,
for certain humanitarian purposes, to help maintain aviation safety,
and to promote the exchange of information. Also, it is important to
U.S. national security interests that aviation-related sanctions take
into account humanitarian and diplomatic concerns as well as the international
obligations of the United States.
Accordingly, I have waived the application of subsections
5(a)(1) and 5(a)(2)(A) of the SAA to permit the export and reexport
of: products in support of activities of the United States Government
to the extent that such exports would not otherwise fall within my constitutional
authority to conduct the Nation's foreign affairs and protect national
security; medicines on the Commerce Control List and medical devices;
aircraft parts and components for purposes of flight safety; exports
and reexports consistent with the 5(a)(2)(D) waiver outlined below;
information and informational materials, as well as telecommunications
equipment and associated items to promote the free flow of information;
certain software and technology; products in support of United Nations
operations; and, certain exports and reexports of a temporary nature.
These items are further identified in the Department of Commerce's General
Order No. 2, as issued consistent with my order. I have also waived
the application of subsection 5(a)(2)(D) to permit the following with
respect to aircraft of any air carrier owned or controlled by Syria:
takeoffs or landings of such aircraft when chartered by the Government
of Syria to transport Syrian government officials to the United States
on official Syrian government business; takeoffs or landings for non-traffic
stops of such aircraft that are not engaged in scheduled international
air services; takeoffs and landings associated with an emergency; and
overflights of U.S. territory.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 11, 2004
Sources: The White House |