Thursday, December 18, 2014

Cuba Sanctions

Resource Center

Cuba Sanctions

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Frequently Asked Question in connection with the President's announcement on changes to U.S. policy with respect to Cuba.

Q.  How will OFAC implement the changes to the Cuba sanctions program announced by the President on December 17, 2014?  Are the changes effective immediately?
A.  OFAC will implement the Treasury-specific changes via amendments to its Cuban Assets Control Regulations. The Department of Commerce will implement the remainder of the changes via amendments to its Export Administration Regulations.  OFAC expects to issue its regulatory amendments in the coming weeks.  None of the announced changes takes effect until the new regulations are issued.
Sanctions Brochures

Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Cuba sanctions.  They are useful quick reference tools. Important Advisories

OFAC issues advisories to the public on important issues related to the Cuba sanctions, while these documents may focus on specific industries and activities they should be reviewed by any party interested in OFAC compliance. Frequently Asked Questions

OFAC has compiled hundreds of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about its sanctions programs and related policies.  The link below sends the user to the entire list of OFAC's FAQs. Specific Guidance on the Cuba Sanctions

OFAC offers guidance on a variety of subjects related to the Cuba sanctions. Most of this guidance is specific in nature.  General guidance on the Cuba sanctions can be found in the Sanctions Brochures section at the top of this page. Related to Publishing Activities
Related to Travel Transactions, Service Providers and the Travel Industry
Related to trade and transport of Cuban origin goods
  • Cuban Cigar Update - Information on the importation of Cuban-origin cigars, transactions involving Cuban-orgin goods in third countries, and cigars produced from Cuban tobacco seed.
Related to the transfer of claims against Cuba:
Interpretive Guidance

OFAC issues interpretive guidance on specific issues related to the sanctions programs it administers.  These interpretations of OFAC policy are sometimes published in response to a public request for guidance or may be released proactively by OFAC in order to address a complex topic. Applying for a Specific OFAC License and Sending Remittances to Cuba

It may be in your and the U.S. government’s interest to authorize particular economic activity related to the Cuba sanctions.  Certain activities related to the Cuba sanctions may be allowed if they are licensed by OFAC.  Visit the link below to apply for an OFAC license. Guidance on OFAC Licensing Policy

Certain activities related to the Cuba sanctions may be allowed if they are licensed by OFAC.  Below OFAC has issued guidance on its licensing policy. Executive Orders, Statutes, Rules and Regulations Relating to Cuba

The Cuba sanctions program represents the implementation of multiple legal authorities.  Some of these authorities are in the form of executive orders issued by the President.  Other authorities are public laws (statutes) passed by The Congress.  These authorities are further codified by OFAC in its regulations which are published the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).  Modifications to these regulations are posted in the Federal Register. Executive Orders
  • 12854 Implementation of the Cuban Democracy Act (Effective Date - July 4, 1993)
Statutes
Code of Federal Regulations
Federal Register Notices
  • 77 FR 71530-12 - 2012 Amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations​​
  • 76 FR 5072-11 - 2011 Amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations
  • 75 FR 10997-10 - Amendments to authorize certain types of exportation
  • 74 FR 46000-09 - 2009 Amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations​
  • 68 FR 14141-03  - 2003 Amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations
  • 66 FR 36683-01  - Exports of Agricultural Products, Medicines, and Medical Devices to Cuba, Sudan, Libya, and Iran; Cuba Travel-Related Transactions

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Iran Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/.../iran.aspx

Information relating to the extension of the sanctions relief provided for in the Joint Plan of Action between the P5+1 and the Islamic Republic of Ir ...

[PDF] An overview of O.F.A.C. Regulations involving Sanctions ...

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/.../Documents/iran.pdf

An overview of O.F.A.C. Regulations involving Sanctions against Iran . This fact sheet provides general information about the Iranian sanctions ...

Iraq-Related Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/.../iraq.aspx

Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Iraq-related Sanctions. They are useful quick reference tools.

North Korea Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/.../Pages/nkorea.aspx

Iran Sanctions; Syria Sanctions; Counter Terrorism Sanctions; ... Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the North ...

[PDF] OFAC - Overview of U.S. Sanctions regarding Sudan

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Documents/sudan.pdf

in Sudan's Darfur Region ... imposed a trade embargo against the entire territory of Sudan and a total asset freeze ... (Myanmar), Cuba,Diamond ...

Cuba Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/.../cuba.aspx

From the US Treasury Department. Describes intent of embargo, with summary of regulations on travel, gifts, investments, and trade, and links to ...

Burma Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/.../pages/burma.aspx

Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Burma sanctions. They are useful quick reference tools. Overview of Sanct ...

OFAC FAQs: Question Index - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/.../Pages/ques_index.aspx

Where can I find the specific details about the embargoes? 7: ... SDN List contains a list of entities identified by OFAC as being the Government of I ...

Sanctions Programs and Country Information

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/.../Programs/Pages/Programs.aspx

Iran Sanctions; Syria Sanctions; Counter Terrorism Sanctions; Counter Narcotics Trafficking Sanctions; Cuba Sanctions; Other OFAC Sanctions Programs ...

Syria Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/.../pages/syria.aspx

Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Syria Sanctions. They are useful quick reference tools. Overview of ...

[PDF] Office of Foreign Assets Control BELARUS - U.S. Department ...

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Documents/belarus.pdf

- 1 - U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control What You Need To Know About The U.S. Embargo BELARUS What You Need To Know ...

Treasury Announces Sanctions Against Iran

www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1847.aspx

Sanctions Linked to Censorship in Iran. In addition to increasing economic pressure on Iran, the Treasury Department, in consultation with the State ...

[PDF] OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL Iranian Transactions and ...

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/.../civil_aviation_slp_iran.pdf

SAFETY OF IRAN’S CIVIL AVIATION INDUSTRY Consistent with current U.S. foreign policy, the following Statement of Licensing Policy

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Page 1

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Sanctions/Pages/answer.aspx

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Page 1 ... the specific details about the embargoes? ... interests in property of the Government of Iran, ...

Yemen-related Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/.../Pages/yemen.aspx

Iran Sanctions; Syria Sanctions; ... Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Yemen-related Sanctions.

[PDF] IRAQ - United States Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/.../Documents/iraq.pdf

including a trade embargo against Iraq and a freeze of the assets of the then-Iraqi government, ... Iran, Lebanon, Liberia, North Korea, Somalia, ...

Democratic Republic of the Congo Sanctions

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/.../drc.aspx

Iran Sanctions; Syria Sanctions; ... Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Democratic Republic of the Congo San ...

[PDF] OFFICE OF FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL GUIDANCE ON ...

www.treasury.gov/.../sanctions/Programs/Documents/iranship.pdf

sanctions programs, including the U.S. economic embargo against the Government of Iran as promulgated in the Iranian Transactions Regulations, 31 CFR ...

Fact Sheet: Implementation of National Defense ...

www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1409.aspx

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, President Obama signed Executive Order (E.O.) 13599 that takes a number of actions in furtherance of the Administration’s Iran ...

Lebanon-Related Sanctions - U.S. Department of the Treasury

www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/.../leb.aspx

Iran Sanctions; Syria Sanctions; ... Sanctions Brochures are an overview of OFAC's regulations with regard to the Lebanon-Related sanctions.

Publications Related to Intelligence


Publications Related to Intelligence

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A more sober approach to the Russian ‘reset’
Articles - August 27, 2013
 
Today, the U.S. and Moscow share few common interests
The fate of controversial National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, who was recently granted asylum by the Kremlin, is of little importance. His case, however, shines a revealing spotlight on the true state of U.S.-Russian relations, and on the sorry state of American policy toward Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
 
The Kremlin's Iran Problem
Articles - June 18, 2012
 
On Monday and Tuesday, all eyes will be on Russia as it hosts the third round in the troubled international negotiations now under way between Iran and the West over the former's nuclear program.
 
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 253
Bulletins - February 24, 2012
 
 Israel Tests its Arrow Anti-Missile System; Turkmenistan's President "Wins" Another Term; Canadians Helping Qaddafi's Son to Mexico?; Blackouts in Gaza
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1729
Bulletins - May 20, 2011
 
Skype, Gmail get a reprieve... for now;
Clipping Sechin's (and Putin's) wings
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1694
Bulletins - October 6, 2010
 
A pipeline to China on the horizon;
For FSB target, some long-delayed justice
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 260
Bulletins - August 25, 2010
 
Pakistan plays a triple game...; As the U.S. scales back pressure on Islamabad; AQ takes a backseat in Afghanistan; Pentagon report touches on China-India conflict
 
How to Fix U.S.-India Ties
Articles - August 20, 2010
 
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the U.S.-India partnership is losing momentum under President Barack Obama’s stewardship.  Fortifying the alliance was bound to be a secondary priority for any administration faced with a recession, a flagging war effort in Afghanistan, political stalemate in Iraq, stalled Middle East peace efforts, defiant pariah regimes in Iran and North Korea, and strategic tensions with China. Still, allowing the partnership to falter appears to have come easier to a president who never quite displayed George W. Bush’s zeal for the Indian-American relationship. To be sure, problems also exist on the Indian side. New Delhi has itself fallen into a form of post-honeymoon malaise, as the phase of grand political gestures gives way to tough technical negotiations. However, rather than mitigate the downside of this difficult period, the Obama administration is pursuing an agenda that further complicates it and, in doing so, risks some of the tremendous gains made in U.S.-India relations over the past decade.
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 226
Bulletins - August 20, 2010
 
Israel and Lebanon clash at the border; Arming the Saudis; Terror title shifts to South Asia; IMU leader Yuldashev dead
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 843
Bulletins - August 19, 2010
 
New missile bases expand China's reach; Chinese media censorship "increasingly tight"
 
Playing with Fire in Pakistan
Articles - July 30, 2010
 
That a Pakistani-born U.S. national was responsible for the latest attempted terrorist attack on U.S. soil should come as little surprise. Pakistan has stood, almost unchallenged, at the epicenter of global terrorism for the post-9/11 era. Individuals or groups based in Pakistan have been involved in the majority of planned attacks on Western nations since 2001 and the country has played a critical role in the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Finally, nuclear-armed Pakistan maintains a network of Islamist militant groups focused on targeting India and is now host to a ferocious Islamist insurrection of its own; an insurgency that is now more deadly than those in either Iraq or Afghanistan. In short, no discussion of counterterrorism is complete without an examination of Pakistan and its role in Western terror attacks, the Afghan War, and its own attempts to combat domestic terrorism.
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 258
Bulletins - July 22, 2010
 
New U.S. base in northern Afghanistan?; Pak cracks down on Punjabi Taliban, sort of; India considers beefing up border presence even more; Headley tells India ISI involved in Mumbai
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1681
Bulletins - July 22, 2010
 
Back in the USSR;
Umarov: public enemy number one
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 224
Bulletins - July 15, 2010
 
Iraq seeks info on Iran nuke sites; Turkey beats back PKK, with U.S. help; AQAP tries its hand at western media, targets Yemen gov.; Tajikistan's lonely airbase
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 836
Bulletins - July 9, 2010
 
Obama accuses China of "willfull blindness" on Cheonan sinking; A first: China admits North started Korean War
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 255
Bulletins - May 28, 2010
 
So close, but so far away; Controversial nuke deal for Pak-China; Water disputes rise to the top of the Indo-Pak agenda; Drone math
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 826
Bulletins - May 24, 2010
 
China endures wave of attacks on schoolchildren; South Korea fingers north in ship sinking, irked China hosts Kim
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 222
Bulletins - May 21, 2010
 
Another step forward for Nabucco; North Korea arms bound for more than Iran?; Turkey deal on Iran sanctions -- breakthrough or delay tactic?; Turkmen leader endorses new party; Political gridlock in Baghdad
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 825
Bulletins - May 19, 2010
 
China bolsters presence along Sino-Burmese border; Taiwan military games simulate Chinese invasion
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 254
Bulletins - May 10, 2010
 
Pak draws down troops from Kashmir; Maoist protests paralyze Nepal; India and Pak eye navy upgrades; India and China bring water issues into the open
 
Mountain to climb -- China's complex relationship with India
Articles - May 7, 2010
 

The latest issue to raise heckles [in India] has been cyberespionage. In January, India’s National Security Advisor MK Naryanan directly blamed China for multiple hacking attacks, and the chairman of India’s Cyber Law and IT Act Committee warned that same month that China had “raised a cyber army of about 300,000 people and their only job is to intrude upon the secured networks of other countries.” In April, a study by US and Canadian researchers claimed that a Chinese ‘shadow network’ had copied secret files of India’s defence ministry, potentially compromising some of India’s advanced weapons systems.
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 252
Bulletins - April 2, 2010
 
Nato courting Moscow for Afghan assistance; Pakistan's constitution gets a makeover; More hardware to Sino-Indian border; New intel satellite for India; Iran and Pakistan reach deal on "Peace Pipeline"
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 251
Bulletins - March 26, 2010
 
LeT in America's sight's; Maoists respond to Operation Green Hunt; CIA and ISI draw closer; In arms sales, U.S. doesn't discriminate
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 811
Bulletins - March 10, 2010
 
ASEAN not happy with China Free Trade Zone; U.S. cyber-attacks traced back to Chinese colleges
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 218
Bulletins - March 4, 2010
 
YEMEN INCHES TOWARD PEACE; WITH AN EYE ON IRAN, ISRAELI UNVEILS NEW DRONE; U.S. REAFFIRMS CENTRAL ASIA TIES; AKP STEPS UP BATTLE AGAINST MILITARY IN TURKEY
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 808
Bulletins - February 22, 2010
 
HK democrats resign, press for referendum; Chinese GPS rival Beidou gets third satellite
 
Taking Stock Of Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
Articles - February 16, 2010
 
What can the Obama administration do about Iran's drive to develop nuclear weapons?

The president's informal year-end deadline for a diplomatic resolution to the nuclear impasse with Iran has come and gone. Iran recently announced that it plans to build 10 nuclear fuel plants and has moved to enrich uranium to a higher level than necessary for peaceful purposes. As a result, the center of gravity within Washington policy circles is moving toward punitive measures against the Islamic Republic in the hope of curtailing its persistent nuclear ambitions.

Yet in order for the tougher measures it contemplates to be effective, the White House will need to know a lot more about the Iranian program than appears to be the case currently. A comprehensive reevaluation of what we know about Iran's atomic drive -- and what it means -- is in order.
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 216
Bulletins - January 22, 2010
 
YEMEN HEADED FOR ECONOMIC DISASTER...; WHILE WASHINGTON MOVES AGAINST AQAP; COMMISSION UPENDS IRAQI POLITICS; CENTRAL ASIAN YOUTH SEEK MADRASSAS ABROAD
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 246
Bulletins - January 14, 2010
 
KARACHI MOVES INTO TALIBAN CROSSHAIRS; VIOLENCE RETURNS TO KASHMIR; IN NEPAL, MAOISTS PUSH THE ENVELOPE; AFGHAN INTEL FAILURES EXPOSED
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 244
Bulletins - December 12, 2009
 
LeT alive and kicking; India and Russia come to terms on aircraft carrier; Nepal inching toward crisis; Quadrilateral security for Asia... sort of
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 213
Bulletins - December 3, 2009
 
Riyadh and Tehran take sides in Yemen civil war; Hezbollah has a new military strategy...; ...and a new political one
 
Iran Democracy Monitor - No. 96
Bulletins - November 19, 2009
 
Iran's Basijis get younger; IRGC takes control of intelligence...; ...and plans anti-PSYOP commands; Shoring up Khamenei's supremacy; Thumbing their nose at gasoline sanctions
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 782
Bulletins - September 25, 2009
 
Beijing rooting out Triad connections within the party; Unrest still brewing in Xinjiang
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1645
Bulletins - September 16, 2009
 
Russia's version of net-centric warfare;
"Root causes" in the Caucasus
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 208
Bulletins - August 16, 2009
 
In Saudi Arabia, near miss by al Qaeda; Sinopec finds a different way to Iraqi oil; Saudis and Russians near massive arms deal...; as Mideast takes top spot in arms purchases; Progress for Turkey and Armenia
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 772
Bulletins - July 22, 2009
 

Beijing plans local administration overhaul; India voices more concern over PLA buildup
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1635
Bulletins - June 16, 2009
 
Restarting START;
Second thoughts on Syria?
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 753
Bulletins - April 4, 2009
 
China accuses U.S. of spying on nuke subs; Beijing constructs journalist "black list"
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 751
Bulletins - March 27, 2009
 
Sino-U.S. naval spat in the Pacific; Sino-U.S. mil-mil relations still "in a difficult period"
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1613
Bulletins - January 20, 2009
 
Another Latin American ally for Moscow;
Russian counterintelligence works overtime
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1575
Bulletins - July 12, 2008
 
FSB fingered in Litvinenko murder;
Russia joins China to block Zimbabwe sanctions
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1574
Bulletins - July 7, 2008
 
BP feeling the squeeze in Russia;
Face to face: Bush and Medvedev meet
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1573
Bulletins - July 4, 2008
 
In "threats to Britain" poll, Russia nearly tops list;
Medvedev dismisses G8 eviction threat
 
China Reform Monitor - No. 696
Bulletins - June 5, 2008
 
China closes a door to Taipei at the WHO...;
... but leaves one open on earthquake aid
 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1548
Bulletins - April 5, 2008
 
For journalists under fire, asylum in Britain;
Moscow to send three Kilos to Venezuela
 
South Asia Security Monitor - No. 210
Bulletins - March 14, 2008
 
The LTTE's marriages of convenience;
Nuclear dreams in Jakarta 
 
Confronting Iran: U.S. Options
Policy Papers - November 15, 2007
 
Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran looms large on the agenda of policymakers in Washington. Over the past several years, it has become clear that the Islamic Republic is pursuing a massive, multifaceted endeavor to acquire a nuclear capability—and that it is making rapid progress toward this goal, despite pressure from the world community. Yet Iran’s nuclear program is just part of a larger picture. The Islamic Republic’s enduring support for terrorism, its growing and pernicious regional role, and its radical, uncompromising ideology currently also pose serious challenges to the United States, its allies and American interests in the greater Middle East.
So far, policymakers in Washington have failed to muster an adequate response on any of these fronts. As a result, the Islamic Republic has gained precious time to entrench itself in Iraq, expand its support for terrorists and bring added permanence to its nuclear effort. The logical conclusion of the current status quo is a mature Iranian nuclear capability, continued Coalition casualties in Iraq, and emboldened terrorist groups across the region. If it hopes to avoid such an outcome, the United States must harness all the elements of national power into a strategy that focuses on three concrete goals vis-à-vis Iran: counterproliferation, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency.

 
Russia Reform Monitor - No. 1507
Bulletins - October 24, 2007
 
Bartering with missile defense;
Continued nostalgia for the Soviet system
 
Eurasia Security Watch - No. 154
Bulletins - July 17, 2007
 
Israel: Zero hour approaches; Curbing the virtue committee; Web fears in Damascus; Riyahd's duplicitous role; Al-Qaeda: Back in action...
 
Reinvigorating Intelligence
Articles - March 15, 2007
 
Five-and-a-half years after September 11th, the United States finally appears to have acknowledged the necessity of effective intelligence to its national security in the 21st century. The Bush administration, inheritor of a deeply flawed institution at its inauguration, was forced to confront this reality after a string of intelligence failures and foreign policy setbacks that culminated in the Iraq war.
President Bush managed to harness momentum from the disaster of 9/11 to institute the most extensive overhaul of American intelligence in decades. Yet, in true Washington form, time, attention and effort is not necessarily an indicator of success. Indeed, the Bush administration’s victories have been too few and far between, and its agenda for reform too susceptible to stalling or reversal. Momentum toward transformation likewise has been tempered by competing political interests and the inertia of Congress. The resulting track record has been mixed; the task incomplete.
 
Missile Defense Briefing Report - No. 213
Bulletins - December 6, 2006
 
A straggler in the PSI; Jitters over China's space ambitions; Romania takes itself off the table; Palestinian missile threat expands...; ...prompting a new focus on technology in Israel; U.S.-Japanese cooperation gathers momentum
 

Presidential Memorandum -- Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition

Presidential Memorandum -- Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR 
SUBJECT: Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition
Consistent with principles of responsible public stewardship entrusted to this office, with due consideration of the importance of Bristol Bay and the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area to subsistence use by Alaska Natives, wildlife, wildlife habitat, and sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries, and to ensure that the unique resources of Bristol Bay remain available for future generations, I hereby revoke my memorandum of March 31, 2010 (Withdrawal of Certain Areas of the United States Outer Continental Shelf from Leasing Disposition), and direct as follows:
Under the authority granted to me in section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1341(a), I hereby withdraw from disposition by leasing for a time period without specific expiration the area of the Outer Continental Shelf currently designated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area (Area), including Bristol Bay, offshore Alaska. This withdrawal prevents consideration of this Area for any oil or gas leasing for purposes of exploration, development, or production.
Nothing in this withdrawal affects the rights under existing leases in this Area.
BARACK OBAMA

Obama Calls Executive Orders “Presidential Memoranda” to Avoid Scrutiny and Issues Most in History

Obama Calls Executive Orders “Presidential Memoranda” to Avoid Scrutiny and Issues Most in History

United States of Newspeak.
Obama Calls Executive Orders “Presidential Memoranda” to Avoid Scrutiny and Issues Most in History
by Michael Krieger | Liberty Blitzkrieg | December 18, 2014

If there’s one thing we have learned about Barack Obama, it’s that he is a master of deception and absolutely loves to lie to the public. He seems to enjoy conning the plebs to such a degree, I think he actually receives blasts of dopamine every time he does it. The bigger the lie, the better the rush.
The latest example relates to his issuance of executive orders, or lack thereof, something that Obama Inc. has actively attempted to portray as evidence of his restraint when it comes to executive power. Here are a few examples from USA Today article published earlier today.
First, from the man himself:
“The truth is, even with all the actions I’ve taken this year, I’m issuing executive orders at the lowest rate in more than 100 years,” Obama said in a speech in Austin last July. “So it’s not clear how it is that Republicans didn’t seem to mind when President Bush took more executive actions than I did.”
Harry Reid also proudly chimed in:
In a Senate floor speech in July, Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “While Republicans accuse President Obama of executive overreach, they neglect the fact that he has issued far fewer executive orders than any two-term president in the last 50 years.”
Finally, the message wouldn’t be complete without some words from Bootlicker in Chief Jay Carney:
“There is no question that this president has been judicious in his use of executive action, executive orders, and I think those numbers thus far have come in below what President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton did,” said Jay Carney, then the White House press secretary, in February.
Nice spin, but what’s the truth? Also from USA Today:
WASHINGTON — President Obama has issued a form of executive action known as the presidential memorandum more often than any other president in history — using it to take unilateral action even as he has signed fewer executive orders.
Like executive orders, presidential memoranda don’t require action by Congress. They have the same force of law as executive orders and often have consequences just as far-reaching. And some of the most significant actions of the Obama presidency have come not by executive order but by presidential memoranda.
The Office of Legal Counsel — which is responsible for advising the president on executive orders and memoranda — says there’s no difference between the two.
With that in mind, how does Obama’s record stand up when you combine his issuance of executive orders and executive memoranda? Well, here you go:
Screen Shot 2014-12-17 at 11.31.49 AM
Oh, and let’s not forget this guy still has two years left to further separate himself from the pack.
More from USA Today:
WASHINGTON — President Obama has issued a form of executive action known as the presidential memorandum more often than any other president in history — using it to take unilateral action even as he has signed fewer executive orders.
Obama has issued executive orders to give federal employees the day after Christmas off, to impose economic sanctions and to determine how national secrets are classified. He’s used presidential memoranda to make policy on gun control, immigration and labor regulations. Tuesday, he used a memorandum to declare Bristol Bay, Alaska, off-limits to oil and gas exploration.
Like executive orders, presidential memoranda don’t require action by Congress. They have the same force of law as executive orders and often have consequences just as far-reaching. And some of the most significant actions of the Obama presidency have come not by executive order but by presidential memoranda.
Obama has made prolific use of memoranda despite his own claims that he’s used his executive power less than other presidents. “The truth is, even with all the actions I’ve taken this year, I’m issuing executive orders at the lowest rate in more than 100 years,” Obama said in a speech in Austin last July. “So it’s not clear how it is that Republicans didn’t seem to mind when President Bush took more executive actions than I did.”
Obama has issued 195 executive orders as of Tuesday. Published alongside them in the Federal Register are 198 presidential memoranda — all of which carry the same legal force as executive orders.
He’s already signed 33% more presidential memoranda in less than six years than Bush did in eight. He’s also issued 45% more than the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, who assertively used memoranda to signal what kinds of regulations he wanted federal agencies to adopt.
Obama is not the first president to use memoranda to accomplish policy aims. But at this point in his presidency, he’s the first to use them more often than executive orders.
So even as he’s quietly used memoranda to signal policy changes to federal agencies, Obama and his allies have claimed he’s been more restrained in his use of that power.
In a Senate floor speech in July, Majority Leader Harry Reid said, “While Republicans accuse President Obama of executive overreach, they neglect the fact that he has issued far fewer executive orders than any two-term president in the last 50 years.”
“There is no question that this president has been judicious in his use of executive action, executive orders, and I think those numbers thus far have come in below what President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton did,” said Jay Carney, then the White House press secretary, in February.
Executive orders are numbered — the most recent, Executive Order 13683, modified three previous executive orders. Memoranda are not numbered, not indexed and, until recently, difficult to quantify.
That’s precisely why Obama is utilizing them at a record clip.
Indeed, many of Obama’s memoranda do the kinds of things previous presidents did by executive order.
• In 1970, President Nixon issued an executive order on unneeded federal properties. Forty years later, Obama issued a similar policy by memorandum.
Presidential scholar Phillip Cooper calls presidential memoranda “executive orders by another name, and yet unique.”
The law does not define the difference between an executive order and a memorandum, but it does say that the president should publish in the Federal Register executive orders and other documents that “have general applicability and legal effect.”
There are subtle differences. Executive orders are numbered; memoranda are not. Memoranda are always published in the Federal Register after proclamations and executive orders. And under Executive Order 11030, signed by President Kennedy in 1962, an executive order must contain a “citation of authority,” saying what law it’s based on. Memoranda have no such requirement.
Whatever they’re called, those executive actions are binding on future administrations unless explicitly revoked by a future president, according to legal opinion from the Justice Department.
The Office of Legal Counsel — which is responsible for advising the president on executive orders and memoranda — says there’s no difference between the two.
Even the White House sometimes gets tripped up on the distinction. Explaining Obama’s memoranda on immigration last month, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the president would happily “tear up his own executive order” if Congress passes an immigration bill.
Obama had issued no such executive order. Earnest later corrected himself. “I must have misspoke. I meant executive actions. So I apologize,” he said.
Not to fear, we just found out that Jeb Bush will be running for President in 2016. There’s always something to look forward to. For example:

Huckabee Adviser: Obama is a Soviet Spy

Huckabee Adviser: Obama is a Soviet Spy

Obama's a mole, gays caused Noah's flood, and other hits from one of two Janets that Huck says he "answers to" (the other's his wife).

| Tue May 10, 2011 5:00 AM EDT
Mike Huckabee's close ties to far-right activists helped propel him to a second-place finish in the race for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008. But as the former Arkansas governor mulls another White House run, the incendiary remarks and outright paranoia of one of his close advisers serve as a reminder that Huckabee's greatest asset—his relationship with the religious right—may also be one of his greatest vulnerabilities.
Huckabee has joked that he "answers" to "two Janets." One is his wife, Janet Huckabee. The other is Janet Porter, the onetime co-chair of Huckabee's Faith and Values Coalition. And Porter, the former governor has said, is his "prophetic voice." But that voice has said some weird things over the years: Porter has maintained that Obama represents an "inhumane, sick, and sinister evil," and she has warned that Democrats want to throw Christians in jail merely for practicing their faith. She's attributed Haiti's high poverty rate to the fact that the country is "dedicated to Satan," and she suggested that gay marriage caused Noah's Flood. And there's this: In a 2009 column for conservative news site WorldNetDaily, Porter asserted that President Barack Obama is a Soviet secret agent, groomed since birth to destroy the United States from within.
Porter's long history in the Christian right made her a natural ally for Huckabee, a former Baptist preacher, as he laid the foundations for his  presidential run in 2007. An acolyte of the late televangelist D. James Kennedy, Porter rose quickly through the ranks of the Christian right, first as director of the Ohio Right to Life chapter in the 1990s. Later, she founded and served as president of Faith2Action, a right-wing group that promotes a theory known as Christian Dominionism—in which Christians are duty-bound to control the instruments of government in advance of the second coming of Christ.
Porter, in turn, seemed enamored with the candidate. In WorldNetDaily, she lavished praise on Huckabee. At one point, she composed a medieval ballad in which Huckabee, referred to as "Sir Mike-A-Lot who we all Like a lot," slayed Hillary Clinton (represented by the "the evil queen and her dragon of slaughter"). Huckabee eventually signed Porter up as co-chair of his Faith and Family Values Coalition, a prestigious group of evangelical who's-who's tasked with reaching out to religious voters.
Porter had strong words for Huckabee's competition, as well. She publicly suggested that former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson might be the anti-Christ. In the lead-up to the Iowa caucuses, she cut an ad attacking Huckabee's two most serious rivals, Mitt Romney and John McCain. The ad was paid for by RoeGone, a short-lived 527 formed by a Porter deputy with the stated ambition of becoming the conservative MoveOn.org (it fizzled).
Porter's most dramatic arguments for Huckabee centered on what she believed was the impending prohibition on Christianity—the subject of her 2004 book, The Criminalization of Christianity: Read This Book Before it Becomes Illegal! In her view, the 2008 election represented a make-or-break moment for people of faith. "I'm writing this letter from prison, where I've been since the beginning of 2010," she began one column. "Since Hillary was elected in '08, Christian persecution in America has gotten even worse than we predicted."
Her efforts for Huckabee did not go overlooked by the candidate. In his campaign memoir, Do the Right Thing, he calls her a "prophetic voice," and includes Porter on a short list of evangelicals—including Left Behind creator Tim LaHaye—who made his rise possible. He singles her out for praise for helping to organize the Values Voters Debate and credits her prayers and fasting with his strong performance at a "turning point" in the campaign.
"We met and prayed together and there was a special defining moment for me if not for the others," he writes. "Bondage to my fears about whether I was to continue was broken, and bonds of friendship were formed that night with people like Janet Folger [Porter's maiden name] and other who came to play a major role in what was later to be labeled by the press and known as a 'Huckaboom.'"
Since the 2008 election, the two have largely gone their separate ways. For Huckabee, that meant a well-paid gig on Fox News as the host of his eponymous television show. Porter, meanwhile, found a new target in the current president—a topic she explored in the detail in the pages of WorldNetDaily.
"Brace yourself for what I am about to say next," Porter began one column, published shortly after the inauguration. She then detailed an email that had been forwarded to her raising questions about the president's status as an American citizen. But that was the least of it: If the email were correct, the president was a Soviet agent—and so were his parents. He had been conceived, in other words, with the sole purpose of destroying the nation from within.
As Porter explained, the letter had originally been composed by a software developer named Tom Fife. "All I know is that Tom Fife is a real guy—not some e-mail scam," she wrote. "I've talked to him." In the email, Fife recounted a dinner-party conversation he'd had with a Soviet scientist in Moscow in the early 1990s.
"Since I had dabbled in languages," Fife wrote, "I knew a smattering of Arabic. I made a comment: 'If I remember correctly, 'Barack' comes from the Arabic word for 'Blessing.' That seems to be an odd name for an American.' [The Soviet scientist] replied quickly, 'Yes. It is 'African,' she insisted, 'and he will be a blessing for world Communism. We will regain our strength and become the number one power in the world.'"
From there, Porter's rhetoric only escalated. Last summer, she lost her syndicated radio show after organizing a rally at the Lincoln Memorial to urge Christians to take over the United States government. And this spring, she made headlines by summoning a fetus to testify on behalf of an Ohio measure banning abortions after a heartbeat has become detectable. (Huckabee has endorsed the bill).
Porter did not respond to a request for comment from Mother Jones.
Huckabee's greatest asset has always been his ability to speak two languages—one to his base, and one to everyone else. But that may not last if he decides to run again. His most recent appearance on the normally friendly confines of The Daily Show was dominated by a discussion of his admiration for discredited amateur historian David Barton, whom Huckabee says Americans should be "forced at gunpoint" to listen to.
The former Arkansas governor has thus far stayed mum on whether he will leave his cushy Fox News show to run for president. But like Porter, Huckabee himself has drawn criticism for his embrace of conspiracy theories surrounding Obama's upbringing. In March, he told the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer that the President's worldview was shaped by Kenyan upbringing (he later back-tracked).
Huckabee, contacted through his political action committee, did not respond to a request for a comment. The Soviet Union, which dissolved in 1991, also could not be reached.