For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 23, 2001
Executive Order
Additional Measures with Respect to Prohibiting the Importation of Rough Diamonds from Sierra Leone
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the UnitedStates of America, including the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50U.S.C.1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the
National Emergencies Act(50 U.S.C.1601 et seq.), section5 of the
UnitedNations Participation Act of 1945, as amended (22U.S.C.287c)
(UNPA), and section301 of title3, UnitedStates Code, and in view ofthe
national emergency described and declared in Executive Order13194 of
January18, 2001, and United Nations Security Council Resolutions1306 of
July5, 2000, and 1343 of March7, 2001,
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the UnitedStates of America, take note
that in Executive Order13194, the President responded to, among other
things, the insurgent Revolutionary United Front's (RUF) illicit trade
in diamonds to fund its operations in the civil war in Sierra Leone by
declaring a national emergency and, consistent with United Nations
Security Council Resolution1306, by prohibiting the importation into
theUnitedStates of all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone except for
those importations controlled through the Certificate of Origin regime
of the Government of Sierra Leone. United Nations Security Council
Resolution1343 takes note that the bulk of RUFdiamonds leaves Sierra
Leone through Liberia and that such illicit trade cannot be conducted
without the permission and involvement of Liberian government officials
at the highest levels; determines that the active support provided by
the Government of Liberia for the RUF and other armed rebel groups
inneighboring countries constitutes a threat to int ernational peace
and security in the region; and decides that all states shall take the
necessary measures to prevent the importation of all rough diamonds
from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated in
Liberia. The Government of Liberia's complicity inthe RUF's
illicit trade in diamonds and its other forms of support for the RUF
are direct challenges to UnitedStates foreign policy objectives in the
region as well as to the rule-based international order that is crucial
to the peace andprosperity of the UnitedStates. Therefore, I
find theseactions by the Government of Liberia contribute to the
unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the
UnitedStates described in Executive Order13194 with respect towhich the
President declared a national emergency. In order to deal
with that threat and to ensure further that the direct orindirect
importation into the UnitedStates of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone
will not contribute financial support to further aggressive actions by
the RUF or to the RUF's procurementof weapons; to implement United
Nations Security Council Resolution1343; and tocounteract, among other
things, the Government of Liberia's facilitation of and participation
in
the RUF's illicit trade in diamonds through Liberia, I hereby order the
following additional measures be taken with respect to prohibiting the
importation of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone:
Section 1. Except to the extent provided in regulations,
orders, directives, or licenses issued pursuant to this order, and
notwithstanding the existence of any rights or obligations conferred or
imposed by any international agreement or any contract entered into or
any license or permit granted prior tothe effective date of this order,
the direct or indirect importation into the UnitedStates of all rough
diamonds from Liberia, whether or not such diamonds originated in
Liberia, onor after the effective date of this order is prohibited.
Sec. 2. Any transaction by a UnitedStates person or
withintheUnitedStates that evades or avoids, or has the purpose
ofevading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions
set forth in this order is prohibited. Any conspiracy formed
to violate any of the prohibitions set forth inthis order is
prohibited.
Sec. 3. The definitions contained in section 4 of Executive
Order13194 apply to the terms used in this order.
Sec. 4. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation
withthe Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions,
including the promulgation of rules and regulations, andto employ all
powers granted to the President by IEEPA andUNPA, as may be necessary
to carry out the purposes of thisorder. The Secretary of the
Treasury may redelegate anyofthesefunctions to other officers and
agencies of the UnitedStates Government. All agencies of the
UnitedStates Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate
measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this
order, including modification, suspension, or termination of licenses
orauthorizations in effect as of the date of this order.
Sec. 5. This order is not intended to create, nor does
itcreate, any right, benefit, or privilege, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law by a party against the UnitedStates, its agencies,
officers, or any other person.
Sec. 6. (a)This order is effective at 12:01a.m. eastern
daylight time on May 23, 2001.
(b) This order shall be transmitted to the Congress and published in
the Federal Register.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE, May 22, 2001.
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