The Watcher - OMB Watch's biweekly newsletter with analysis and updates on all our issues
OMB Watcher Vol. 8 No. 15: New Executive Order on Iraq Expands Problems for Charities
New Executive Order on Iraq Expands Problems for Charities
President Bush issued an executive order on July 16 that expands the government's authority to block the U.S.-based financial assets of individuals or groups in Iraq beyond those it designates as supporters of terrorism, to include those who act, or assist those who act, against peace and stability in Iraq. The order, titled Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq, directs the U.S. Treasury Department to freeze assets of those who impede "efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people." Experts both in and out of the charitable sector have expressed concern about the potential impact on civil liberties and provision of aid in the region. As the Washington Post warns, "Be careful what you say and whom you help -- especially when it comes to the Iraq war and the Iraqi government."
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