Obama Declares National Emergency, Blocks Russian Assets
On June 25, President Barack Obama issued a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the President of the Senate stating that under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, he was declaring a National Emergency due to actions incurred with Russia, and the Russian Federation. The submitted letter provides a declaration to Congress of the President signing Executive Order (E.O.) 13159, and its immediate implementation.
Under this National Emergency and Executive Order, the United States is seizing assets and property owned or managed by the Russian Federation relating to nuclear items and programs tied to Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU).
Pursuant to section 204(b) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 50 U.S.C. 1703(b), I hereby report that I have exercised my authority to declare a national emergency to deal with the threat posed to the United States by the risk of nuclear proliferation created by the accumulation in the Russian Federation of a large volume of weapons-usable fissile material.
The United States and the Russian Federation had entered into a series of agreements that provide for the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from Russian nuclear weapons into low enriched uranium (LEU) for use in commercial nuclear reactors. There were concerns that payments due to the Russian Federation under these agreements may be subject to attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process, in the United States, which could put implementation of such agreements at risk. In Executive Order 13159, the President therefore ordered blocked all property and interests in property of the Government of the Russian Federation directly related to the implementation of the HEU Agreements so that it would be protected from the threat of attachment, garnishment, or other judicial process. - White House.gov
The ramifications of this Executive Order, along with portions that remain classified from the public, have vast consequences for the American people. Earlier this year, President Obama updated and signed several Executive Orders that deal with the complete control and confiscation of U.S. assets, infrastructure, and manpower in the case of a declared National Emergency. As of yesterday, that National Emergency has been invoked, opening the door for any number of policies to be enacted by the President going forward.
Additionally, this action against Russia and the Russian Federation could have massive consequences for America in regards to foreign policy, and even a potential act of war should Russia see fit to perceive Obama’s actions as such. With NATO and Russia both rattling sabers in the region of Syria, the possible threat of a global conflict increased with this new asset confiscation order.
Events in the Middle East, along with regime changes in Egypt, Libya, and a number of Arab states, are engulfing Russia, Europe, and the United States into a potential global conflict that could quickly grow into something not seen in 68 years. With President Obama declaring a state of National Emergency, and imposing a new asset seizure on properties owned or controlled by the Russian Federation, the ramifications for war on several fronts, along with the potential of liberties and freedoms lost to the American people has increased to dangerous levels.
