Presidential Determination No. 91 - 31 -- Memorandum on Disaster Assistance in the Persian Gulf Region

Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense

Subject: Drawdown from DOD Stocks for Disaster Assistance in the Gulf Region

Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 506(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(2)) (the "Act"), I hereby determine that it is in the national interest of the United States to draw down defense articles from the stocks of the Department of Defense and defense services of the Department of Defense for the purpose of the provision of international disaster assistance in the Gulf Region. Such assistance will be available to meet urgent needs in the countries of the region, including Iran and Iraq.

Therefore, I hereby authorize the furnishing of up to $50 million of defense articles from the stocks of the Department of Defense and defense services of the Department of Defense, for the purposes and under the authorities of Chapter 9 of Part I of the Act.

In addition, pursuant to the authorities vested in me by section 552(c)(2) of the Act (22 U.S.C. 2348a(c)(2)), I hereby determine that, as the result of an unforeseen emergency, the provision of assistance under Chapter 6 of Paragraph II of the Act in amounts in excess of funds otherwise available for such assistance is important to the national interests of the United States; and that such unforeseen emergency requires that immediate provision of assistance under that chapter. Therefore, I hereby direct the drawdown of commodities and services from the inventory and resources of the Department of Defense of an aggregate value of up to $25 million, and authorize that they be furnished under the authority of that chapter.

The Secretary of State is directed to inform the appropriate committees of the Congress of this determination and the obligation of funds under this authority, and to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

George Bush

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:17 p.m., May 7, 1991]