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[House Document 107-254]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

107th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 107-254

 
 PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO TERRORISTS 
         WHO THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

  A SIX MONTH PERIODIC REPORT ON THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY, DECLARED IN 
 EXECUTIVE ORDER 12947 OF JANUARY 23, 1995, WITH RESPECT TO TERRORISTS 
 WHO THREATEN TO DISRUPT THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS, PURSUANT TO 50 
                  U.S.C. 1641(c) AND 50 U.S.C. 1703(c)

    September 4, 2002.--Referred to the Committee on International 
                  Relations and ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                         Washington, July 31, 2002.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: 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, 50 U.S.C. 
1703(c), I transmit herewith a 6-month periodic report prepared 
by my Administration 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.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.
 Periodic Report on the National Emergency With Respect to Terrorists 
         Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process

    This report covers developments over the course of the past 
6-months 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, as expanded in scope by Executive Order 13099 of 
August 20, 1998. The report is submitted pursuant to section 
204(c) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 
U.S.C. 1703(c) (IEEPA), and section 401(c) of the National 
Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1641(c).
    1. There have been no amendments to the Terrorism Sanctions 
Regulations, 31 CFR Part 595 (the ``Regulations''), during the 
current reporting period.
    2. On March 27, 2002, the Department of the Treasury's 
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the Al-Aqsa 
Martyrs Brigade (a.k.a. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Battalion), a Fatah-
affiliated group in the West Bank, to its list of Specially 
Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons. The Secretary of 
State designated Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade pursuant to section 
1(a)(ii)(A) of Executive Order 12947, as amended, and 
concurrently, pursuant to section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 
of September 23, 2001, (``Blocking Property and Prohibiting 
Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or 
Support Terrorism'') and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization 
pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act 
of 1996. On May 31, 2002, OFAC issued a superseding designation 
of Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) of 
Richardson, Texas, its other offices in the United States, and 
its offices in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as both a 
SpecialDesignated Terrorist (SDT) and a Special Designated Global 
Terrorist (SDGT). HLF was initially designated an SDT and an SDGT on 
December 4, 2001.
    3. As of May 29, 2002, OFAC has issued two licenses 
authorizing the release of blocked funds after it was 
determined that there was no SDT property interest in the 
funds.
    4. As of May 29, 2002, six transactions, totaling 
approximately $60,000, in which an SDT had an interest, were 
blocked during this reporting period. This brings the total 
blocked assets being reported to OFAC to more than $6,450,000. 
The blocking of these funds prevents their conversion or other 
disposal for the benefit of the SDT. Federal agencies will 
continue to work closely to identify and block assets in which 
SDTs have an interest.
    5. Since the last report, one U.S. financial institution is 
undergoing civil penalty enforcement action for allegations or 
prohibited transactions with an SDT.
    6. The expenses incurred by the Federal Government in the 
6-month period from January 23 through July 22, 2002, that are 
directly attributable to the exercise of powers and authorities 
conferred by the declaration of the national emergency with 
respect to terrorists who threaten to 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 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.

                                
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