U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

99–011 2011

112th Congress, 1st Session – – – – – – – – – – – – – House Document 112–50 

NOTIFICATION THAT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WAS 

ISSUED BLOCKING PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN 

TRANSACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SYRIA 

MESSAGE 

FROM

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

TRANSMITTING

NOTIFICATION OF HIS DECLARATION OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO BLOCKING PROPERTY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS 

WITH RESPECT TO SYRIA, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1703 

AUGUST 19, 2011.—Message and accompanying papers referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Affairs and ordered to be printed 


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To the Congress of the United States: 

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act 

(50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA) and in light of the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 (Public 

Law 108–175) (SAA), I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order (the ‘‘order’’) that takes additional steps with respect to 

the Government of Syria’s continuing escalation of violence against 

the people of Syria and with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004, as modified in 

scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 

13399 of April 25, 2006, Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 

2008, Executive Order 13572 of April 29, 2011, and Executive 

Order 13573 of May 18, 2011. 

In Executive Order 13338, the President found that the actions 

of the Government of Syria constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy 

of the United States and declared a national emergency to deal 

with that threat. To address that threat and to implement the 

SAA, the President in Executive Order 13338 blocked the property 

of certain persons and imposed additional prohibitions on certain 

transactions with respect to Syria. In Executive Order 13572, I expanded the scope of that national emergency and imposed additional sanctions. 

The order blocks the property and interests in property of the 

Government of Syria. The order also provides criteria for designations of persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in 

consultation with the Secretary of State: 

• to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services 

in support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order; or 

• to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported 

to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person 

whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant 

to the order. 

The order also prohibits the following: 

• new investment in Syria by a United States person, wherever located; 

• the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or 

indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, wherever located, of any services to Syria; 

• the importation into the United States of petroleum or petroleum products of Syrian origin; 

• any transaction or dealing by a United States person, 

wherever located, including purchasing, selling, transporting, 

swapping, brokering, approving, financing, facilitating, or guarVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:17 Aug 20, 2011 Jkt 099011 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 E:\HR\OC\HD050.XXX HD050

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anteeing, in or related to petroleum or petroleum products of 

Syrian origin; and • any approval, financing, facilitation, or guarantee by a 

United States person, wherever located, of a transaction by a 

foreign person where the transaction by that foreign person 

would be prohibited by section 2 of the order if performed by 

a United States person or within the United States. 

I have delegated to the Secretary of the Treasury the authority, 

in consultation with the Secretary of State, to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ 

all powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary 

to carry out the purposes of the order. 

All agencies of the United States Government are directed to 

take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out 

the provisions of the order. 

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued. 

BARACK OBAMA. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, August 17, 2011. 


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EXECUTIVE ORDER

BLOCKING PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA AND

PROHIBITING CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO SYRIA

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) 

(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), 

and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, 

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, 

in order to take additional steps with respect to the Government 

of Syria’s continuing escalation of violence against the people of 

Syria and with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004, as modified in scope and relied 

upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399 of April 

25, 2006, Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 2008, Executive 

Order 13572 of April 29, 2011, and Executive Order 13573 of May 

18, 2011, hereby order: 

Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property that are in 

the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, 

or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of 

any United States person, including any overseas branch, of the 

Government of Syria are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, 

exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in. 

(b) All property and interests in property that are in the United 

States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are 

or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United 

States person, including any overseas branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State: 

(i) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services 

in support of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or 

(ii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order. 

Sec. 2. The following are prohibited: 

(a) new investment in Syria by a United States person, wherever 

located; 

(b) the exportation, reexportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a United States person, 

wherever located, of any services to Syria; 


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(c) the importation into the United States of petroleum or petroleum products of Syrian origin; 

(d) any transaction or dealing by a United States person, wherever located, including purchasing, selling, transporting, swapping, 

brokering, approving, financing, facilitating, or guaranteeing, in or 

related to petroleum or petroleum products of Syrian origin; and 

(e) any approval, financing, facilitation, or guarantee by a United 

States person, wherever located, of a transaction by a foreign person where the transaction by that foreign person would be prohibited by this section if performed by a United States person or within the United States. 

Sec. 3. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the 

type of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 

1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property 

and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this 

order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national 

emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 and expanded in 

scope in Executive Order 13572, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order. 

Sec. 4. The prohibitions in section 1 of this order include but are 

not limited to: 

(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, 

or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property 

and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and 

(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, 

or services from any such person. 

Sec. 5. The prohibitions in sections 1 and 2 of this order apply 

except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, 

directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, 

and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or 

permit granted prior to the effective date of this order. 

Sec. 6. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within 

the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading 

or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the 

prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited. 

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set 

forth in this order is prohibited. 

Sec. 7. Nothing in sections 1 or 2 of this order shall prohibit 

transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal 

Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof. 

Sec. 8. For the purposes of this order: 

(a) the term ‘‘person’’ means an individual or entity; 

(b) the term ‘‘entity’’ means a partnership, association, trust, 

joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; 

(c) the term ‘‘United States person’’ means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of 

the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States; and 

(d) the term ‘‘Government of Syria’’ means the Government of the 

Syrian Arab Republic, its agencies, instrumentalities, and controlled entities. 

Sec. 9. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the abilVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:17 Aug 20, 2011 Jkt 099011 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HD050.XXX HD050

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ity to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice 

to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order 

would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine 

that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national 

emergency declared in Executive Order 13338 and expanded in 

scope in Executive Order 13572, there need be no prior notice of 

a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order. 

Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the 

Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ 

all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary 

to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and 

agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby 

directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to 

carry out the provisions of this order. 

Sec. 11. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any 

right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 

equity by any party against the United States, its departments, 

agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other 

person. 

Sec. 12. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight 

time on August 18, 2011. 

BARACK OBAMA. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, August 17, 2011. 

Æ 


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