Turkmenistan flag. Click for map and country data.TheWeekInCongress.com
Week Ending June 11, 2004
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE THIS WEEK
1.) Intelligence Commission meeting,
2.) Two Memorandums regarding the G8 Conference and
3.) Three Presidential Determinations regarding Turkmenistan, Belarus and Vietnam.
1.) Notice of Meeting of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the US Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. (The Commission)
BRIEF
The Commission was established by Executive Order 13328 to assess if the intelligence community is sufficiently authorized, organized, equipped, trained and with sufficient resources to identify, warn in a timely manner and help the government respond to the development of WMDs, related means of their delivery and other threats.
The meeting will be attended by representatives of agencies within the intelligence community and will include classified documents and discussions of classified matters along with presentations of US intelligence capabilities also based on classified information.
The Commission does not concede that the meeting would fall under Federal Advisory Committee Act under which it has an obligation to be open to the public, but considers that it may be justified in waiving various acts that would make the meeting closed to the public because of the nature of the classified materials it will review and discuss.
The meeting will be held on June 23, 2004 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and June 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its offices in Arlington, VA.
Public wanting to comment can do so with a written statement via FAX to 703-414-1203 or by e-mail at comments@wmd.gov, or by phone at 703-414-1200.##
2.)Two memorandums.
Responsibility for protection of foreign dignitaries to the G-8 conference in Georgia is delegated to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Responsibility for the National Guard troops assigned to the G-8 conference in Georgia is delegated to the Secretary of Defense.
3.)Three Presidential Determinations
Presidential Determination 2004-32 Regarding Turkmenistan
Presidential Determination 2004-33 Regarding Belarus
Presidential Determination 2004-34 Regarding Vietnam
Turkmenistan flag. Click for map and country data.
Belarus flag. Click for map and country data
Vietnam flag. Click for
map and country data.
The three PD’s are waivers of economic restraints and accomplish the same for Turkmenistan, Belarus and Vietnam as provided for in the Trade Act of 1974. (The Act)
The Act was established to demonstrate the continued dedication of the United States to fundamental human rights by restricting commerce with any non-market country (A country with a small economy) that does not allow free emigration to other countries.
Should a non-market country deny its citizens the right or opportunity to emigrate; impose more than a nominal tax on emigration or on visas or other documents required for emigration, or imposes more than a nominal tax, levy, fine, fee, or other charge on any citizen who wants to emigrate to the country of his / her choice then products from that country shall not be eligible to receive normal trade relations with the US. Also the country shall not participate in any program of the Government of the United States that extends credits or credit guarantees or investment guarantees, directly or indirectly, and the President of the United States shall not conclude any commercial agreement with that country.
The same law, however, allows the President to waive those conditions if he determines that the freedom of immigration and other concerns would best be accomplished if the restrictions were waived. The waiver would last for one year and the President must notify Congress if he intends to extend the waiver. # All Rights Reserved. No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com