H.R. 2797, EMBARGO ON TRADE WITH SYRIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP92M00732R001100030037-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 29, 2014
• Sequence Number: 37
• Publication Date: September 12, 1989
• Content Type: MEMO

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RE
OCA 89-3214
12 September 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, Special Activities Division, OGC
Chief, Operations Support Division, OGC
Chief, Evaluation and Plans Staff
FROM:
Legislation Division
Office of Congressional Affairs
SUBJECT: H.R. 2797, Embargo on Trade with Syria
1. Attached for your information is a copy of H.R. 2797, a
bill which would impose an embargo on trade with Syria. The
bill was introduced by Congressman Dornan on June 29, 1989.
2. The bill would require the President to implement a
full embargo on trade with Syria. It would also require the
President to instruct the United States Executive Director of
the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to
oppose any action by the bank which would benefit Syria.
Finally, the bill calls upon the President to seek multilateral
cooperation in imposing sanctions against Syria and to demand
that the United Nations undertake appropriate measures against
Syria for its state-sponsored terrorism.
3. While it appears that this proposed legislation would
not harm Agency equities, I would appreciate any comments you
may have. It is my belief that the bill is not going anywhere,
however, we will continue to monitor its progress and keep you
informed.
Attachment
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STAT
STAT
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SUBJECT: H.R. 2797, Embargo on Trade with Syria
(12 Sep 89)
OCA/Legislation)
Distribution:
Orig - C/SAD, OGC, w/att
1 - C/OSD, OGC, w/att
1 - C/EPS, w/att
- OCK Record,--atwtt
-1-= Signer, w/o att
1 - OCA/LEG/Subject:Terrorism, w/att
1 - OCARead
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101ST CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
I-I. R.2797
To impose an embargo on trade with Syria.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 29, 1989
Mr. DORNAN of California introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly
to the Committees on Ways and Means, Foreign Affairs, and Banking, Fi-
nance and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To impose an embargo on trade with Syria.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 lives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
4 The Congress finds the following:
5 (1) The 40,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon-
6 (A) foster paralysis of the Government of
7 Lebanon and promote divisions within the armed
8 forces of the Government of Lebanon; and
9 (B) are critical in dividing Beirut into Chris-
10 tian and Moslem sectors and thereby maintaining
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1 the de facto partition of Lebanon between rival
2 governments.
3 (2) The continuing Syrian artillery bombardment
4 of the Christian sectors of Lebanon that began on
5 March 14, 1989, has resulted in the deaths of several
6 hundred unarmed civilians.
7 (3) Syria is attempting to achieve the territorial
8 dismemberment of Lebanon through the virtual annex-
9 ation of large portions of that nation by violent means.
10 (4) 9 American hostages still remain in captivity
11 in Lebanon in areas largely under the control of Syrian
12 military forces.
13 (5) The headquarters of the Popular Front for the
14 Liberation of Palestine-General Command, which has
15 been implicated in the mid-air bombing of Pan Am
16 flight 103 on December 21, 1988, that killed 270
17 people, is located in Damascus, Syria.
18 (6) The Syrian involvement in State-sponsored
19 terrorist activities is well documented and includes the
20 following:
21 (A) The attack on the Qiryat Shemona town-
22 ship in northern Israel in April 1974 in which 18
23 were killed and 16 wounded.
24 (B) The simultaneous machine gun and gre-
25 nade attacks on the Rome and Vienna airports in
?IIR 2797 III
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1 December 1985 in which 16 were killed and 80
2 wounded are attributed to Abu Nidal who at the
3 time was headquartered in Syria and who contin-
4 ues to operate in the Syrian-controlled Bekka
5 valley of Lebanon.
6 (C) The bombing, attributed to a Syrian na-
7 tional named Hindawi, of the German Arab
8 Friendship Union in Berlin in March 1986.
9 (D) The attempted bombing of an El Al
10 flight from London to Tel Aviv in April 1986 by
11 a brother of Hindawi.
12 (E) The bombing of an airport baggage han-
13 dling area in Madrid, Spain, in June 1986 in
14 which 11 were wounded.
15 (F) The September 5, 1986, ground hijack-
16 ing in Karachi of a Pan Am aircraft that resulted
17 in 21 killed and 100 wounded is attributed to Abu
18 Nidal who at the time was still headquartered in
19 Syria.
20 (G) The attack, also attributed to Abu Nidal,
21 in Instanbul September 1986 of a synagogue that
22 resulted in the death of 22 individuals.
23 (7) Syria has used other terrorist groups, including
24 Iranian Shiite fundamentalists, in Lebanon as surro-
25 gates who are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of
97i17 111.
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1 American servicemen and Embassy personnel in
2 Beirut.
3 (8) Syrian involvement in the cultivation, produc-
4 tion, and distribution of illegal narcotics, including
5 heroin and hashish, has been so notorious that the
6 United States Government has decertified Syria in
7 regard to cooperation with United States in drug inter-
8 diction efforts;
9 (9) Syria presents the most dangerous and imme-
10 diate security threat to the Government of Israel in the
11 Mid-East region.
12 (10) Syria is closest ally in the Mid-East region of
13 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
14 SEC. 2. EMBARGO.
15 The President shall immediately implement a full em-
16 bargo on trade with Syria.
17 SEC. 3. WORLD BANK ACTIONS.
18 The President shall instruct the United States Execu-
19 tive Director of the International Bank for Reconstruction
20 and Development not to vote in favor of any action proposed
21 to be taken by the bank that would benefit Syria.
22 SEC. 4. MULTILATERAL ACTIONS.
23 (a) UNITED NATIONS.?The Congress calls upon the
24 President-
2791 III
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1 (1) to bring immediately to the attention of the
2 Secretary General of the United Nations, and to
3 pursue before the Security Council of the United Na-
4 tions, the matter of the state-sponsored terrorism of
5 Syria; and
6 (2) to demand that the United Nations undertake
appropriate and effective measures against Syria for
8 that terrorism.
9 (b) OTHER MULTILATERAL EFFORTS.?The Congress
10 calls upon the President to seek multilateral cooperation in
11 imposing sanctions and otherwise bringing pressure on Syria
12 in order to obtain a cessation that nation's sponsorship of
13 terrorism.
14 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE PERIOD.
15 The provisions of this Act shall apply until the Congress
16 is notified by the President that he has determined that Syria
17 is no longer engaged in state-sponsored terrorism and drug
18 trafficking and has withdrawn its military forces from Leba-
19 non.
?HR 2797 IH
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