US – President continues national emergency with respect to Syria

On May 9, 2014, the Federal Register published Notice of May 7, 2014 — Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to the Actions of the Government of Syria which extends the Syrian sanctions originally declared in Executive Order (EO) 13338 of May 11, 2004, and modified by other EOs, for an additional year. EO 13338 authorized the blocking of property of certain persons and prohibited the exportation or re-exportation of certain goods to Syria. The national emergency was modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in EO 13399 of April 25, 2006, EO 13460 of February 13, 2008, EO 13572 of April 29, 2011, EO 13573 of May 18, 2011, EO 13582 of August 17, 2011, EO 13606 of April 22, 2012, and EO 13608 of May 1, 2012. The Notice stated that:

The President took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining U.S. and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.

The regime’s brutal war on the Syrian people, who have been calling for freedom and a representative government, endangers not only the Syrian people themselves but also is generating instability throughout the region. The Syrian regime’s actions and policies, including the use of chemical weapons, supporting terrorist organizations, and impeding the Lebanese government’s ability to function effectively, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.