CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT
TO THE ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SYRIA

On May 11, 2004, pursuant to his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, 50 U.S.C. 1701- 1706, and the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Public Law 108-175, the President issued Executive Order 13338, in which he declared a national emergency with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria. To deal with this national emergency, Executive Order 13338 authorized the blocking of property of certain persons and prohibited the exportation or re-exportation of certain goods to Syria. The national emergency was modified in scope and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13399 of April 25, 2006, Executive Order 13460 of February 13, 2008, Executive Order 13572 of April 29, 2011, Executive Order 13573 of May 18, 2011, Executive Order 13582 of August 17, 2011, Executive Order 13606 of April 22, 2012, and Executive Order 13608 of May 1, 2012.

The President took these actions to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions of the Government of Syria in supporting terrorism, maintaining its then-existing occupation of Lebanon, pursuing weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, and undermining U.S. and international efforts with respect to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.

While the Syrian regime has reduced the number of foreign fighters bound for Iraq, the regime's brutal war on the Syrian people, who have been calling for freedom and a representative government, endangers not only the Syrian people themselves, but could yield greater instability throughout the region. The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including pursuing chemical and biological weapons, supporting terrorist organizations, and obstructing the Lebanese government's ability to function effectively, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. As a result, the national emergency declared on May 11, 2004, and the measures to deal with that emergency adopted on that date in Executive Order 13338; on April 25, 2006, in Executive Order 13399; on February 13, 2008, in Executive Order 13460; on April 29, 2011, in Executive Order 13572; on May 18, 2011, in Executive Order 13573; on August 17, 2011, in Executive Order 13582; on April 22, 2012, in Executive Order 13606; and on May 1, 2012, in Executive Order 13608; must continue in effect beyond May 11, 2013. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared with respect to the actions of the Government of Syria.

In addition, the United States condemns the Asad regime's use of brutal violence and human rights abuses and calls on the Asad regime to stop its violent war and step aside to allow a political transition in Syria that will forge a credible path to a future of greater freedom, democracy, opportunity, and justice.

The United States will consider changes in the composition, policies, and actions of the Government of Syria in determining whether to continue or terminate this national emergency in the future.

This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 7, 2013.
# # #

U.S., South Korea, vow to maintain North Korea deterrent

WASHINGTON, May 7 (Reuters) - The United States and South Korea agree on maintaining a deterrent posture towards North Korea and on not rewarding that provocative behavior from Pyongyang, President Barack Obama said.

"President Park and myself very much share the view that we are going to maintain a strong deterrent, we're not going to reward provocative behavior, but we remain open to the prospect of North Korea taking a peaceful path," Obama said at a joint press conference with South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

"So far, at least, we haven't seen actions on the part of the North Koreans that would indicate they're prepared to move in a different direction," he added.

(Reporting By Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Kerry tells Putin U.S., Russia share common interests in Syria

MOSCOW, May 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday the United States and Russia share common interests in Syria, including promoting regional stability and preventing the spread of extremism.

At the start of a meeting in the Kremlin, Kerry told Putin that U.S. President Barack Obama believed the two nations can cooperate on Syria, Iran, North Korea and economic issues.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed adn Ale4xei Anishchuk, Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Timothy Heritage)

Kerry to 'make another stab' at Syria deal with Russia

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will make another effort to see if Russia is committed to finding a political solution to end the Syrian civil war when he visits Moscow this week, a U.S. official said.

"We certainly want to try to make another stab at it, to make another effort at it, because events on the ground have become steadily worse," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, adding that Kerry would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

The official also told reporters that Washington had no information to suggest Syrian rebels had the capability or intention to use sarin after a U.N. official said human rights investigators have gathered testimony indicating rebel forces have used the nerve agent.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Eric Beech)

Statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General on reports of Israeli strike in Syria

The Secretary-General expresses grave concern over reports of air strikes in Syria by the Israeli Air Force. At this time, the United Nations does not have details of the reported incidents. Nor is the United Nations in a position to independently verify what has occurred.

The Secretary-General calls on all sides to exercise maximum calm and restraint, and to act with a sense of responsibility to prevent an escalation of what is already a devastating and highly dangerous conflict.

The Secretary-General urges respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, and adherence to all relevant Security Council resolutions.

Syrian rebel attack on mixed city points to end of peace pact

Rebels battled Syrian troops in the eastern border city of Qamishli on Friday, a monitoring group opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said, ending a de facto truce in the mainly Christian and Kurdish area.

Qamishli, on the border with Turkey and close to Iraq, has remained peaceful during a two-year uprising against Assad because local Kurds agreed with mostly Arab rebels to avoid clashes within city limits, said the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Videos posted on the Internet on Friday showed pickup trucks and dozens of rebels preparing an attack on Qamishli's domestic airport and smoke rising from the airport grounds.

The city of around 200,000 is also home to thousands of Syrians who have fled other parts of the country, the Observatory said. Inhabitants must now wait and see whether Assad retaliates for rebel attacks by using war planes, as he has done in other major cities.

The Observatory said the advance includes rebels of the Free Syrian Army and the hard-line Islamist Nusra Front, who have clashed in the past with Christians and Kurds the opposition has tried to persuade to abandon Assad.

"We are not sure why they are attacking today," said Observatory head Rami Abdelrahman. "Maybe the agreement broke down," he said, adding that the government and Kurdish militia control different areas of Qamishli.

In January, Kurdish militants and rebels fought battles with each other for weeks after Assad's forces retreated from Ras al-Ain, a northern border post with Turkey, embarrassing an opposition movement that said it speaks for all Syrians.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in Syria's war, according to the United Nations. March was the conflict's bloodiest month yet, with more than 6,000 people killed, a third of them civilians, according to the Observatory.

Protests against the Assad family's four-decade rule broke out in Qamishli in April 2011, Kurdish activists said at the time. Kurds, around 10 percent of Syria's population, faced discrimination and harassment under Assad and his father, Hafez.

But after a crackdown by Assad's forces on peaceful demonstrations and the subsequent arming of the opposition, many of Syria's Kurds distrust the rebels and there have been sectarian clashes over the past few months across the country.

The Syrian government has given Kurdish militia autonomy over some areas on the condition rebels are kept out.

Western and Middle Eastern nations trying to help the opposition will meet in Turkey on April 20.

(Reporting by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Jason Webb)

U.S. Senators push for military aid to Syrian rebels - Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. senators, including some of President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats, pushed the White House on Thursday to shift its policy and provide lethal military assistance to rebels waging a civil war against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

It is time for Washington to do more to oust Assad and end a two-year conflict in which more than 70,000 people have been killed and millions displaced, they said at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sentiment is growing in the United States and internationally that more should be done in Syria.

"Shouldn't we do something to prevent this massive slaughter that's going on?" Senator John McCain asked during a heated exchange that ended with the Arizona Republican walking out of the hearing. He did so while Elizabeth Jones, the acting assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs was replying to one of his questions.

McCain has long called for the United States to provide military assistance, including a no-fly zone, in Syria to assist the rebels.

Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, defended Washington's approach and pointed out that Assad has lost territory to the rebels.

"Yes, there has been an erosion of his position," McCain shot back. "But how long will it take? How many have to die? How many have to be tortured?"

Obama's administration has stepped up humanitarian aid, but has stopped short of providing lethal assistance.

COUNTERACTING MILITANTS

Proponents of U.S. military assistance say it will counteract the influence of Islamic militants, ensure chemical weapons do not end up in the wrong hands and help to counter refugees' anger at Washington for doing too little.

"I believe the time has come to consider providing, in some form, military aid to the opposition," said Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, the committee chairman.

"It should include weapons, but stop short of those weapons that could threaten our own interests if they fall into the wrong hands, like shoulder-fired missiles," Menendez said.

At his Senate confirmation hearing earlier on Thursday, Air Force General Philip Breedlove, Obama's nominee to become NATO's supreme allied commander, gave very qualified support to the idea of arming Syrian rebels.

He stressed the need to first ensure that the arms do not fall into the wrong hands, implicitly pointing to concerns that have kept the Obama administration from taking that step.

"If we could assure that the weapons were going to the right people and that we would not have to face them in the future, that would be helpful to removing the regime," Breedlove said.

Asked about the possibility of creating a safe zone in northern Syria, Breedlove acknowledged that the Patriot missile batteries deployed to Turkey by the United States and NATO allies could be used to "project power."

But he noted a series of drawbacks. He said the missiles' range was limited and that they would stop defending Turkish airspace if directed over Syria. Creating a safe zone in northern Syria would also require use of other assets, including fixed-wing aircraft, and knocking out Syrian air defense systems, he said.

"The fact of the matter of being able to project power into Syria is physically possible. There is both good and bad, at creating this impression into Syria," Breedlove said.

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Syrian opposition chief: Rebuff of missile request helps Assad

DOHA, March 27 (Reuters) - Syrian opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib said NATO's rebuff of his call for Patriot missile support for rebel-held areas in the north sent a message to the government of President Bashar al-Assad to "do what you want".

He said in an interview with Reuters that he would not rescind his resignation as leader of the main Syrian opposition coalition but would continue to perform leadership duties for the time being.

(Reporting by Yara Bayoumy, William Maclean and Regan Doherty; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Russia criticises Arab League over Syrian seat at summit

MOSCOW, March 27 (Reuters) - Russia criticised the Arab League on Wednesday for giving a seat formerly held by the Syrian government to a representative of the Syrian opposition at a summit in Doha.

"In Doha, another anti-Syria step was taken: a delegation of the Syrian National Coalition was invited and given the right to take the seat of official representatives of Syria in the meeting room," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Steve Gutterman)