President Issues Yemen Sanctions

May 16, 2012

On May 16, 2012, President Obama signed an Executive Order authorizing sanctions against individuals and entities who threaten the peace, security, and stability of Yemen by disrupting the political transition in Yemen. Instead of targeting the entire country, the sanctions target those who threaten peace, security, and stability in Yemen by means such as obstructing the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it.  The President issued these sanctions based on his belief that the humanitarian and security challenges, as well as the legitimate aspirations of the Yemeni people, cannot be addressed if political progress fails to advance.

The Executive Order blocks all property and interests in property that are in the United States, that come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, of persons determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to:

• have engaged in acts that directly or indirectly threaten the peace, security, or stability of Yemen, such as acts that obstruct the implementation of the agreement of November 23, 2011, between the Government of Yemen and those in opposition to it, which provides for  a peaceful transition of power in Yemen, or that obstruct the political process in Yemen;
• be a political or military leader of an entity that has engaged in the acts described above;
• have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the acts described above or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order; or
• be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to the order.

For further information, please contact a Barnes/Richardson attorney.