For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 11, 2004
Fact Sheet: Implementing the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003
Today's Presidential Action
President Bush today signed an Executive Order implementing
sanctions on Syria pursuant to the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 ("the Act"). With the
implementation of these sanctions, the President has demonstrated U.S.
resolve to address the Syrian government's support for terrorist
groups, its continued 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.
Implementation of sanctions comes after many months of diplomatic efforts to convince the Syrian government to change its unacceptable behavior. Secretary Powell conveyed U.S. concerns to Syrian President
Asad repeatedly, including in their May 2003 meeting. The Syrian
government has failed to take significant, concrete steps to address
these concerns.
The sanctions include:
- Prohibition on the export to Syria of any items that appear
on the United States Munitions List (arms and defense weapons,
ammunition, etc.) or Commerce Control List (dual-use items such as
chemicals, nuclear technology, propulsion equipment, lasers, etc.);
- Prohibition on the export to Syria of products of the United
States, other than food and medicine; and
- Prohibition on aircraft of any air carrier owned or
controlled by the Syrian government to take off from or land in the
United States.
Under the authority provided in Section 5(b) of the Act, the
President has determined that it is in the national security interest
of the United States to waive the application of these sanctions in
certain cases and for certain products, as specified in the Department
of Commerce's General Order No. 2.
In addition to the sanctions provided for under the Act, the
President has decided to impose additional sanctions.
- Under Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, the Secretary of
the Treasury is to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking with respect
to a measure to require U.S. financial institutions to sever
correspondent accounts with the Commercial Bank of Syria based on money laundering concerns.
- Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(IEEPA), the President has authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, in
consultation with the Secretary of State, to freeze, within the
jurisdiction of the United States, assets that belong to certain Syrian
individuals and government entities.
The President will consider additional sanctions against the
Government of Syria if it does not take serious and concrete steps to
cease its support for terrorist groups, terminate its weapons of mass
destruction programs, withdraw its troops from Lebanon, and cooperate
fully with the international community in promoting the stabilization
and reconstruction of Iraq.
Syria's Record
Terrorism: The Government of Syria provides safe haven to
Palestinian rejectionist groups, whose Damascus-based leaderships
maintain operational ties with those who conduct acts of terror and
violence against Israel. Syria supports and facilitates arms supplies
to Hizballah, a terrorist organization that is involved in terrorist
acts in the region and around the world. These terrorist groups
actively undermine the U.S. goal of a comprehensive peace in the Middle
East.
Lebanon: Syrian troops entered Lebanon in 1976. Today, Syria maintains a military presence in Lebanon inconsistent with the spirit
of the 1989 Taif Accords, which called for the extension of Lebanese
government control over the entire territory of Lebanon.
Weapons of Mass Destruction: Syria has one of the most advanced Arab state chemical weapons capabilities and it is highly probable that Syria continues to develop an offensive biological weapons
capability. It has a stockpile of the nerve agent sarin and has
engaged in the research and development of more toxic and persistent
nerve agents such as VX. In addition, Syria maintains an inventory of
Scud and SS-21 short-range ballistic missiles, and is believed to have
chemical warheads available for a portion of its Scud missile force.
While Syria is a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has not yet
signed the International Atomic Energy Agency's Additional Protocol,
which strengthens the IAEA's investigative powers to verify compliance
with nuclear safeguards.
Iraq: On the eve of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Syria sent military supplies to Saddam Hussein's forces. While in recent months Syria has taken steps to close its shared border with Iraq, Syria nevertheless
remains a preferred transit point for foreign fighters into Iraq. In
addition, Syria has failed to transfer the approximately $200 million
in frozen Iraqi assets that remain in Syrian banks to the Development
Fund for Iraq (DFI), as required under United Nations Security Council
resolution 1483 (2003). Paragraph 23 of that resolution requires
Member States to freeze and, unless they are the subject of a prior
judicial, administrative, or arbitral lien or judgment, immediately
transfer to the DFI funds or other financial assets that belonged to
the previous Government of Iraq or its state entities or that were
removed from Iraq by Saddam Hussein or other senior officials of his
regime and their immediate family members. Syria earned an estimated
$3 billion in illicit trade with Iraq in violation of United Nations
sanctions.
Background on Syria Accountability Act
In December 2003, the President signed the Syria Accountability and
Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, which provides for the
imposition of a series of sanctions against Syria.
The Act requires that sanctions be imposed against Syria, absent a
determination that Syria meets certain requirements set out in the
Act. Section 5(a)(1) of the Act requires the President to prohibit the
export of items on the United States Munitions List and Commerce
Control List. Section 5(a)(2) of the Act requires the President to
choose two or more sanctions from a list of six, specifically:
- Ban on exports of products of the United States;
- Ban on U.S. businesses investing or operating in Syria;
- Restriction on travel of Syrian diplomats to within a 25-mile radius of their posting in the United States;
- Prohibition on Syrian air carriers from take-off, landing, and
overflight of the United States;
- Reduction of U.S. diplomatic contacts with Syria; or
- Blocking U.S. persons from engaging in any property transactions with the Syrian government.
The Act provides for waivers of these sanctions if the President
determines it is in the "national security interest" of the United
States to do so, and the President submits a report to Congress giving
reasons for the determination.
In signing the legislation, the President stated that the Executive
Branch would construe and implement section 5 of the Act in a manner
consistent with the President's Constitutional authority to conduct the
Nation's foreign affairs and as Commander in Chief.
The Act requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report
to Congress, beginning in June 2004, on Syria's progress toward meeting
the conditions set forth in the Act, any connections between
Syrian-based terrorists and terrorist attacks on the United States or
its allies, and U.S. efforts against Hizballah and other
Syrian-supported terrorist organizations.
###
|