July 20, 2007
A presidential Executive Order issued on July 17th, repeals
with the stroke of a pen the right to dissent and oppose the Iraq war.
In
substance, the Executive Order entitled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons
Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq” provides the President with the
authority to confiscate the assets of “certain persons” who oppose the US led
war in Iraq:
“I have issued an Executive Order blocking property of
persons determined to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of
committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of
threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or
undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in
Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people.”
The
Executive Order criminalizes the antiwar movement. It is intended to “blocking
property” of US citizens and nationals. It targets those “Certain Persons” in
America who oppose the Bush Administration’s “peace and stability” program in
Iraq, characterized, in plain English, by an illegal occupation and the
continued killing of innocent civilians.
The Executive Order also targets
those “Certain Persons” who are “undermining efforts to promote economic
reconstruction”, or who, again in plain English, are opposed to the confiscation
and privatization of Iraq’s oil resources, on behalf of the Anglo-American oil
giants.
The order is also intended for anybody who opposes Bush’s program
of “political reform in Iraq”, in other words, who questions the legitimacy of
an Iraqi “government” installed by the occupation forces.
Moreover, those
persons or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), who provide bona fide
humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians, and who are not approved by the US Military
or its lackeys in the US sponsored Iraqi puppet government are also liable to
have their financial assets confiscated.
The executive order violates the
First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the US Constitution. It repeals one of the
fundamental tenets of US democracy, which is the right to free expression and
dissent. The order has not been the object of discussion in the US Congress.
Sofar, it has not been addressed by the US antiwar movement, in terms of a
formal statement.
Apart from a bland Associated Press wire report, which
presents the executive order as “an authority to use financial sanctions”, there
has virtually no media coverage or commentary of a presidential decision which
strikes at the heart of the US Constitution..
Broader
implications
The criminalization of the State is when the sitting
President and Vice President use and abuse their authority through executive
orders, presidential directives or otherwise to define “who are the criminals”
when in fact they they are the criminals.
This latest executive order
criminalizes the peace movement. It must be viewed in relation to various pieces
of “anti-terrorist” legislation, the gamut of presidential and national security
directives, etc., which are ultimately geared towards repealing constitutional
government in the case of an impending “national emergency”.
The war
criminals in high office are intent upon repressing all forms of dissent which
question the legitimacy of the war in Iraq. The executive order combined with
the existing anti terrorist legislation is eventually intended to be used
against the anti-war and civil rights movements. It can be used to seize the
assets of antiwar groups in America as well as block the property and activities
of non-governmental humanitarian organizations providing relief in Iraq, seizing
the assets of alternative media involved in a critique of the US-led war,
etc.
In May 2007, Bush issued a major presidential National Security
Directive (National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive NSPD
51/HSPD 20), which would suspend constitutional government and instate broad
dictatorial powers under martial law in the case of a “Catastrophic Emergency”
(Second 9/11 terrorist attack.
On July 11, 2007 the CIA published its
National Intelligence Estimate which pointed to an imminent Al Qaeda attack on
America, a second 9/11 which would according to NSPD 51 immediately be followed
by the suspension of constitutional government.
NSPD 51 grants
unprecedented powers to the Presidency and the Department of Homeland Security,
overriding the foundations of Constitutional government. It allows the sitting
president to declare a “national emergency” without Congressional approval The
adoption of NSPD 51 would lead to the de facto closing down of the Legislature
and the militarization of justice and law enforcement.
The executive
order to confiscate the assets of antiwar/peace activists is broadly consistent
with NSPD 51. It could be triggered even in the absence of a “Catastrophic
emergency” as envisaged under NSPD 51. It goes one step further in
“criminalizing” all forms of opposition and dissent. to the US led war and
“Homeland Security” agenda.
Executive Order: Blocking Property of
Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in
Iraq
Fact sheet Message to the Congress of
the United States Regarding International Emergency Economic Powers
Act
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act, as amended (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)(IEEPA), the National
Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)(NEA), and section 301 of title 3,
United States Code,
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, find that, due to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national
security and foreign policy of the United States posed by acts of violence
threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote
economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian
assistance to the Iraqi people, it is in the interests of the United States to
take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in
Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, and expanded in Executive Order 13315 of
August 28, 2003, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order
13350 of July 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004. I hereby
order:
Section 1. (a) Except to the extent provided in section 203(b)(1),
(3), and (4) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(1), (3), and (4)), or in regulations,
orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and
notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior
to the date of this order, all property and interests in property of the
following persons, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the
United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of
United States persons, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported,
withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the
Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of
Defense,
(i) to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of
committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect
of:
(A) threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of
Iraq; or
(B) undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and
political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi
people;
(ii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided
financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services
in support of, such an act or acts of violence or any person whose property and
interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or
(iii) to be
owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf
of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property
are blocked pursuant to this order.
(b) The prohibitions in subsection
(a) of this section include, but are not limited to, (i) the making of any
contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the
benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked
pursuant to this order, and (ii) the receipt of any contribution or provision of
funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Sec. 2. (a) Any
transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or
avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate any of
the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any
conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is
prohibited.
Sec. 3. For purposes of this order:
(a) the term
"person" means an individual or entity;
(b) the term "entity" means a
partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or
other organization; and
(c) the term "United States person" means any
United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws
of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including
foreign branches), or any person in the United States.
Sec. 4. I hereby
determine that the making of donations of the type specified in section
203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of, any
person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this
order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency
declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive Order 13315, and I
hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this
order.
Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in property
are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in
the United States, I find that, because of the ability to transfer funds or
other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be
taken pursuant to this order would render these measures ineffectual. I
therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the
national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive
Order 13315, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made
pursuant to section 1(a) of this order.
Sec. 6. The Secretary of the
Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of
Defense, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation
of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by
IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary
of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and
agencies of the United States Government, consistent with applicable law. All
agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all
appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this
order and, where appropriate, to advise the Secretary of the Treasury in a
timely manner of the measures taken.
Sec. 7. Nothing in this order is
intended to affect the continued effectiveness of any rules, regulations,
orders, licenses, or other forms of administrative action issued, taken, or
continued in effect heretofore or hereafter under 31 C.F.R. chapter V, except as
expressly terminated, modified, or suspended by or pursuant to this
order.
Sec. 8. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any
right, benefit, or privilege, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or
in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies,
instrumentalities, or entities, its officers or employees, or any other
person.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 17,
2007.
# # #
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.html
|
