Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Persons Responsible for Policies and Actions That Threaten Lebanon's Sovereignty and Democracy

Proclamation 8158 of June 28, 2007

Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and
Nonimmigrants of Persons Responsible for Policies and
Actions That Threaten Lebanon's Sovereignty and
Democracy

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

In order to foster democratic institutions in Lebanon,
to help the Lebanese people preserve their sovereignty
and achieve their aspirations for democracy and
regional stability, and to end the sponsorship of
terrorism in Lebanon, it is in the interest of the
United States to restrict the international travel, and
to suspend the entry into the United States, as
immigrants or nonimmigrants, of aliens who deliberately
undermine or harm Lebanon's sovereignty, its legitimate
government, or its democratic institutions, contribute
to the breakdown in the rule of law in Lebanon, or
benefit from policies or actions that do so, including
through the sponsorship of terrorism, politically
motivated violence and intimidation, or the reassertion
of Syrian control in Lebanon.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the
United States of America, by the authority vested in me
by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,
including section 212(f) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act of 1952, 8 U.S.C. 1182(f), and section
301 of title 3, United States Code, hereby find that
the unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into
the United States of persons described in section 1 of
this proclamation would, except as provided for in
sections 2 and 3 of this proclamation, be detrimental
to the interests of the United States.

I therefore hereby proclaim that:

Section 1. The entry into the United States, as
immigrants or nonimmigrants, of the following aliens is
hereby suspended:

(a) Lebanese government officials, former Lebanese
government officials, and private persons who
deliberately undermine or harm Lebanon's sovereignty,
its legitimate government, or its democratic
institutions, or contribute to the breakdown in the
rule of law in Lebanon, including through the
sponsorship of terrorism, politically motivated
violence or intimidation, or the reassertion of Syrian
control in Lebanon;

(b) Syrian government officials, former Syrian
government officials, and persons who meet the criteria
for designation under section 3(a)(i) or (ii) of
Executive Order 13338 of May 11, 2004, who deliberately
undermine or harm Lebanon's sovereignty, its legitimate
government, or its democratic institutions, or
contribute to the breakdown in the rule of law in
Lebanon, including through the sponsorship of
terrorism, politically motivated violence or
intimidation, or the reassertion of Syrian control in
Lebanon;

(c) Persons in Lebanon who act on behalf of, or
actively promote the interests of, Syrian government
officials by deliberately undermining or harming
Lebanon's sovereignty, its legitimate government, or
its democratic institutions, or contribute to the
breakdown in the rule of law in Lebanon, including
through the sponsorship of terrorism, politically
motivated violence or intimidation, or the reassertion
of Syrian control in Lebanon;

(d) Persons who, through their business dealings with
any of the persons described in subsection (a), (b), or
(c) of this section, derive significant financial
benefit from, or materially support, policies or
actions that deliberately undermine or harm Lebanon's
sovereignty, its legitimate government, or its
democratic institutions, or contribute to the breakdown
in the rule of law in Lebanon, including through the
sponsorship of terrorism, politically motivated
violence or intimidation, or the reassertion of Syrian
control in Lebanon; and

(e) The spouses and dependent children of persons
described in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this
section.

Sec. 2. Section 1 of this proclamation shall not apply
with respect to any person otherwise covered by section
1 where entry of such person would not be contrary to
the interests of the United States.

Sec. 3. Persons covered by section 1 or 2 of this
proclamation shall be identified by the Secretary of
State or the Secretary's designee, in his or her sole
discretion, pursuant to such procedures as the
Secretary may establish under section 5 of this
proclamation.

Sec. 4. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed
to derogate from U.S. Government obligations under
applicable international agreements.

Sec. 5. The Secretary of State shall have
responsibility for implementing this proclamation
pursuant to such procedures as the Secretary, in the
Secretary's sole discretion, may establish.

Sec. 6. This proclamation is effective immediately. It
shall remain in effect until such time as the Secretary
of State determines that it is no longer necessary and
should be terminated, either in whole or in part. Any
such determination by the Secretary of State shall be
published in the Federal Register.

Sec. 7. This proclamation 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.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord two
thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-first.