OFAC EO 13441

Executive Order 13441, "Blocking Property of Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or Its Democratic Processes and Institutions," was signed by President George W. Bush on August 1, 2007. It was issued under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act, and section 301 of title 3 of the U.S. Code, and is administered by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The order responds to what the White House characterized as a national emergency arising from actions by Syria, Iran, allied factions, and others to reassert control over Lebanon following the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the work of the UN International Independent Investigation Commission. It freezes U.S.-jurisdiction assets of any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to have:

• taken actions to undermine Lebanon's legitimate, democratically elected government or institutions;
• contributed to the breakdown of the rule of law in Lebanon, including political assassinations;
• supported the reassertion of Syrian control or contributed to political or economic instability in Lebanon; or
• materially assisted, sponsored, or provided support to anyone designated under the order.

Designations made under EO 13441 appear on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, generally with the program tag [LEBANON]. U.S. persons are prohibited from transactions with designated parties, and blocked property cannot be transferred or dealt in without an OFAC license.

EO 13441 operates alongside, but is distinct from, the Hizballah-focused sanctions regimes under EO 13224 (counterterrorism) and the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act (HIFPA). The national emergency declared by the order has been renewed annually by successive presidents. Designations are relatively few compared with other OFAC programs, and the order is most often invoked against Lebanese and Syrian political and security figures linked to interference in Lebanese affairs.