As part of ongoing U.S. efforts against terrorism, the Secretary of State has designated the terrorist group Continuity Irish Republican Army, along with its aliases Continuity Army Council and Republican Sinn Fein, as a foreign terrorist organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Under U.S. law, this designation makes it illegal for persons in the United States or subject to U.S. jurisdiction knowingly to provide material support to the group; it requires U.S. financial institutions to block the group's assets; and it provides a basis for the United States to deny visas to representatives and members of the group. The Secretary of State took this action in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury. The Continuity Irish Republican Army, originally formed as the clandestine armed wing of Republican Sinn Fein, has been active as a terrorist group since 1994. Since its inception it has carried out terrorist bombings and shootings primarily in Belfast and the border areas of Northern Ireland. The group’s terrorism seeks to thwart the peaceful resolution of the Northern Ireland conflict. The United States remains fully committed to a peaceful settlement in Northern Ireland on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement and we continue working with the British and Irish governments as well as with all the parties to advance this goal. As President Bush has made clear, the United States sees no place for paramilitaries nor their violent activities in a democratic society like Northern Ireland. The Secretary previously designated this group under Executive Order 13224 on December 31, 2001, and he has now amended that designation to include the aliases Continuity Army Council and Republican Sinn Fein.
On June 6, 2003, OFAC issued the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594 (68 FR 34196, June 6, 2003 (“the Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 of September 23, 2001, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 FR 49079, September 25, 2001). OFAC has amended the Regulations on several occasions.
On September 9, 2019, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706) (IEEPA) and the United Nations Participation Act (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), issued E.O. 13886, “Modernizing Sanctions To Combat Terrorism” (84 FR 48041, September 12, 2019), effective September 10, 2019. In E.O. 13886, the President, finding it necessary to consolidate and enhance sanctions to combat acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism by foreign terrorists, terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 12947 of January 23, 1995, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (60 FR 5079, January 25, 1995), and revoked E.O. 12947, as amended by E.O. 13099 of August 20, 1998, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (63 FR 45167, August 25, 1998). In addition, the President amended E.O. 13224, in order to build upon initial steps taken in E.O. 12947, to further strengthen and consolidate sanctions to combat the continuing threat posed by international terrorism, and in order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13224, with respect to the continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process.
Section 1 of E.O. 13886 replaces in its entirety section 1 of E.O. 13224, which had been amended by a number of prior Executive orders (E.O. 13224, as amended by all such authorities, is referred to herein as “amended E.O. 13224”), but does not amend the Annex to E.O. 13224, which was previously amended by E.O. 13268 of July 2, 2002, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Taliban and Amendment of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001” (67 FR 44751, July 3, 2002) (“amended Annex to E.O. 13224”).
