1. Rough Diamonds (Sierra Leone & Liberia) Sanctions Regulations (65 FR 5472 on February 6, 2002)

Commentary: The Treasury Department is issuing regulations to implement Executive Order 13194 of January 18, 2001, as expanded in scope in Executive Order 13213 of May 22, 2001, prohibiting, with limited exceptions, the importation into the United States of rough diamonds from Sierra Leone or Liberia.

2. Additional Designations of Terrorism-Related Blocked Persons (65 FR 12644 on March 19, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control has published notice of the designation of additional persons whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, pertaining to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.

3. Addition of Persons to Appendix A to 31 CFR Chapter V (67 FR 16308 on April 5, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control has appended Appendix A to 31 CFR Chapter V to add the names of organizations designated as persons whose property and interests property have been blocked under the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to Section 1(a)(ii) of Executive Order 13219 of June 26, 2001.  The organizations added include:  AKSH (see ALBANIAN NATIONAL ARMY) [BALKANS]; ALBANIAN NATIONAL ARMY (a.k.a. ANA; a.k.a. AKSH) [BALKANS]; ANA (see ALBANIAN NATIONAL ARMY) [BALKANS]; KKCMTSH (see NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE LIBERATION AND PROTECTION OF ALBANIAN LANDS) [BALKANS]; and NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR THE LIBERATION AND PROTECTION OF ALBANIAN LANDS (a.k.a. KKCMTSH) [BALKANS].

4. Western Balkans Transactions Regulations (67 FR 37671 on May 30, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued an interim final rule to carry out the purposes of Executive Order 13219 of June 26, 2001, “Blocking Property of Persons Who Threaten International Stabilization Efforts in the Western Balkans.” Executive Order 13219 declared a national emergency with respect to “the actions of persons engaged in, or assisting, sponsoring, or supporting, (i) extremist violence in the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere in the Western Balkans region, or (ii) acts obstructing implementation of the Dayton Accords in Bosnia or United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, in Kosovo, threaten the peace in or diminish the security and stability of those areas and the wider region, undermine the authority, efforts, and objectives of the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other international organizations and entities present in those areas and the wider region, and endanger the safety of persons participating in or providing support to the activities of those organizations and entities, including United States military forces and Government officials.”  The regulations can be found at 31 CFR 588.

5. Additional Designations of Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers (67 FR 37912 on May 30, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control has published the names of additional persons designated as specially designated narcotics traffickers and whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act and 31 CFR part 598.

6. Rules Governing Availability of Information (67 FR 41658 on June 19, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control invites public comments on a proposed rule concerning the disclosure of certain civil penalties information.  On a periodic basis, not less frequently than quarterly, OFAC intends to make public certain information about civil penalties imposed and informal settlements.  In proceedings against an entity that result in either the imposition of a civil monetary penalty or an informal settlement, OFAC plans to release (1) the name of the entity involved, (2) the sanctions program involved, (3) a brief description of the violation or alleged violation, and (4) the amount of the penalty imposed or the amount of the agreed settlement.  At this time, OFAC does not plan to release the names of individuals involved in civil penalties maters, but OFAC may decide to do so in the future; OFAC welcomes public comments on the potential disclosure of individual names in response to this notice.  For now, penalties and informal settlements involving individuals will be included in the periodic release on an aggregate basis.  The information concerning civil penalties and informal settlements will be available to the public on OFAC’s Web site http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/index.html.

In addition to the names of individuals, there are certain types of information that OFAC does not propose to make public under this rule.  These include information relating to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Sanctions Regulations, trade secrets and other sensitive commercial or financial information, and information on proceedings that have not yet been completed.  OFAC does not intend to make public any “trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential,” within the meaning of section 552(b)(4) of FOIA.  Nor does OFAC publicly comment on pending enforcement and civil penalties proceedings.  OFAC plans to make public the information described in this proposed rule only after the conclusion of any such proceedings.  Public comments on this proposed rule must be received by OFAC on or before July 19, 2002.

7. Additional Designations of Terrorism-Related Blocked Persons (67 FR 43703 on June 28, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of additional persons whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, pertaining to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.  The list of additional designations include the following:  Entity:  Askatasuna (f.k.a. Gestoras Pro-Amnistia), Spain; Individuals: Apaolaza Sancho, Ivan, DOB 10 November 1971, POB Beasain (Guipuzcoa), Spain, D.N.I. 44.129.178; Bersategui Escudero, Ismael, DOB 15 June 1969, POB Eibar (Guipuzcoa), Spai n, D.N.I. 15.379.555; Gallastegui Sodupe, Lexuri, DOB 18 June 1969, POB Bilbao (Vizcaya), Spain, D.N.I. 16.047.113; Palacios Alday, Gorka, DOB 17 October 1974, POB Baracaldo (Vizcaya), Spain, D.N.I. 30.654.356; Quintana Zorrozua, Asier, DOB 27 February 1968, POB Bilbao (Vizcaya), Spain, D.N.I. 30.609.430; Rubenach Roig, Juan Luis, DOB 18 September 1964, POB Bilbao (Vizcaya), Spain, D.N.I. 18.197.545; and Zubiaga Bravo, Manex, DOB 14 August 1979, POB Getxo (Vizcaya), Spain, D.N.I. 16.064.664.

8. Removal of Designation of Terrorism—Related Block Person (67 FR 54841 on August 26, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is removing the name of Mr. Liban Hussein from the list of those persons whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, pertaining to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.  Mr. Hussein was designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on November 7, 2001.

9. Additional Designations of Terrorism-Related Blocked Persons (67 FR 66707 on November 1, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the name of one additional person whose property and interests in property has been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, pertaining to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.  The additional designation is JULAIDIN, Wa’el Hamza (a.k.a “Abu Al-Hasan Al Madani;” a.k.a. JALADIN, Wa’el Hamza; a.k.a. JALADIN, Wa’il Hamza; a.k.a. JALAIDAN, Wa’el Hamza; a.k.a JALAIDAN, Wa’il Hamza; a.k.a. JULAIDAN, Wa’il Hamza; a.k.a. JULAYDAN, Wa’el Hamza; a.k.a JULAYDAN, Wa’il Hamza; DOB 22 Jan 1958; POB Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia; Passport No. A-992535 (Saudi Arabia) (Individual) [SDGT]

10. Additional Designations of Terrorism—Related Block Persons (67 FR 66708 on November 1, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of 25 additional persons whose property and interest in property have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, pertaining to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.  For a complete list of the 25 individuals and/or businesses, please refer to the Federal Register citation listed above.

11. Additional Designations of Terrorism—Related Block Persons (67 FR 66709 on November 1, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of four additional persons whose property and interest in property have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001, pertaining to persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.  For a complete list of the four additional individuals, please refer to the Federal Register citation listed above.

12. Unblocking of Assets; Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) and Bosnian Serb-Controlled Areas of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sanctions Regulations; Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) Kosovo Sanctions Regulations (67 FR 78973 on December 27, 2002)

Commentary: The Office of Foreign Assets Control is issuing general licenses, to be effective February 25, 2003, unblocking certain property and interests in property presently blocked pursuant to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) and Bosnian Serb-controlled areas of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sanctions and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) Kosovo Sanctions set forth at 31 CFR Part 586.  The general licenses effecting the unblocking under both of the above sets of regulations will not apply to property or interests in property of those persons who are presently subject to sanctions under either the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) Milosevic Regulations set forth at 31 CFR Part 587, or the Western Balkans Transactions Regulations set forth at 31 CFR Part 588, or who are otherwise subject to sanctions under other parts of 31 CFR Chapter V. 

In addition, the general license effecting the unblocking under 31 CFR Part 585 will not apply to property or interests in property of diplomatic and/or consular missions of the formal Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or to the blocked property or interests in property of the National Bank of Yugoslavia subject to Part 585.  In order to allow for claims and encumbrances associated with the property and interests in property being unblocked to be addressed, OFAC is also issuing general licenses, effective December 27, 2002, authorizing any person or government to seek judicial or other legal protection of any rights they may have with respect to the property and interests in property being unblocked.