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[House Document 108-22]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

108th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 
108-22
 
 CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO SIERRA LEONE 
                              AND LIBERIA

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

NOTIFICATION THAT THE SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA EMERGENCY IS TO CONTINUE 
    IN EFFECT BEYOND JANUARY 18, 2003, PURSUANT TO 50 U.S.C. 1622(d)

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

January 27, 2003.--Referred to the Committee on International Relations 
                       and ordered to be printed

                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, January 16, 2003.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: 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 Sierra Leone and 
Liberia emergency is to continue in effect beyond January 18, 
2003, to the Fedeal Register for publication. The most recent 
notice continuing this emergency was published in the Federal 
Register on January 17, 2002 (67 FR 2547).
    The national emergency declared with respect to Sierra 
Leone on January 18, 2001, as expanded on May 22, 2001, with 
respect to Liberia, has not been resolved. Some 1,500 
Revolutionary United Front (RUF) soldiers have crossed into 
Liberia in the past year, where they remain under arms and 
continue to pose a threat to the Government of Sierra Leone. 
They use illicit trade in diamonds to sustain themselves in 
Liberia and for weapons purchases. The Government of Liberia 
continues to support these RUF elements and give them 
sanctuary.
    These actions and policies are hostile to U.S. interests 
and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the 
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 Sierra Leone and Liberia and 
to maintain in force the sanctions imposed in response to the 
threat posed by the actions and policies of the RUF.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.

                                 Notice

                              ----------                              

Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Sierra Leone and 
                                Liberia

    On January 18, 2001, by Executive Order 13194, the 
President declared a national emergency with respect to Sierra 
Leone pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers 
Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and 
extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States 
constituted by the actions and policies 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 Seirra 
Leone into 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 the 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.
    Because the actions and policies of the RUF continue to 
pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy 
of the United States, the national emergency declared on 
January 18, 2001, as expanded on May 22, 2001, and the measures 
adopted on those dates to deal with that emergency must 
continue in effect beyond January 18, 2003. 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 Sierra Leone and Liberia.
    This Notice shall be published in the Federal Register and 
transmitted to the Congress.

                                                    George W. Bush.
    The White House, January 16, 2003.

                                
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