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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 24, 1995

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

          President Clinton Takes New Action Against Terrorist 
           Groups that Threaten the Middle East Peace Process

President Clinton signed an Executive order on Monday, January 23 blocking assets in the United States of terrorist organizations that threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process and prohibiting financial transactions with these groups. The horrifying suicide bombing in Israel on Sunday is the latest example of the determination of extremists to destroy the hopes of peaceful coexistence between Arabs and Israelis by the killing of innocents. As the President has stated repeatedly, ?they cannot succeed, they will not succeed, they must not succeed.?

The President's action, which took effect at 12:01 this morning, provides the Administration with a new tool to combat fundraising in this country on behalf of organizations that use terror to undermine the Middle East peace process. The Executive order makes it harder for such groups to finance these criminal activities by cutting off their access to sources of support in the U.S. and to the U.S. financial system. It is also intended to reach charitable contributions to designated organizations to preclude diversion of such donations to terrorist activities. These measures are being taken under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The Administration will encourage other nations to take similar actions.

In addition, the President will soon send to the Congress new comprehensive anti-terrorism legislation that would strengthen our ability to prevent terrorist acts, identify those who carry them out and bring them to justice. The combination of these two initiatives is intended to demonstrate U.S. determination to confront and combat those who would seek to destroy the Middle East peace process, as well as our commitment to the global fight against terrorism.

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