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20 May 2003

More Americans Permitted to Travel to Iraq for Humanitarian Purposes

(State Department makes second amendment of restrictions on U.S.
travel to Iraq) (520)
U.S. passport restrictions for travel to Iraq have been further
amended to allow U.S. citizens to conduct humanitarian and
reconstruction aid activities in the country under the scope of a U.S.
Government contract or grant, according to a May 20 State Department
media note.
The new amendment broadens the number of U.S. passport holders
permitted to travel to Iraq, and, according to the media note, reflect
additional activities now authorized by the Treasury Department's
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for contractors or grantees to
"facilitate our humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq."
On April 15, Secretary of State Colin Powell made the first amendment
to the restriction in order to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian
goods and services to the country.
However, the media note said the overall restriction on the use of
U.S. passports to travel to, in or through Iraq "remains in place
until the Secretary lifts the restriction or it expires."
Following is the text of the media note announcing the amendment of
the passport restrictions:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
Office of the Spokesman 
For Immediate Release 
May 20, 2003 
2003/553
Media Note Iraq: U.S. Passport Restrictions Further Amended For
Humanitarian Activities
Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell has further amended the
restriction on the use of the U.S. passport for travel in, to or
through Iraq. The amendment removes the restriction for persons
conducting humanitarian activities, as defined in 31 CFR Section
575.330. It also applies to persons conducting activities within the
scope of a U.S. Government contract or grant, including employees of
subcontractors and other persons hired to conduct such activities. It
explicitly exempts Members of Congress and their staffs on official
business in Iraq from the passport restriction.
In April, the Secretary had amended the restriction to exempt certain
persons providing humanitarian and other critical services in support
of the Iraqi people. The April exemptions were keyed in part to
whether the activity was licensed by the Treasury Department's Office
of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Earlier this month, OFAC authorized
additional activities in Iraq. Broadening our exemptions to reflect
the new OFAC authorizations will facilitate our humanitarian and
reconstruction efforts in Iraq.
Persons resident in Iraq since February 1, 1991, and professional
reporters and journalists on assignment there, continue to be exempt
from the passport restriction, as do personnel of the United Nations
and its agencies and U.S. Government personnel on official assignment
in Iraq.
General travel conditions in Iraq are still extremely hazardous for
Americans. The Iraq Travel Warning on the Consular Affairs website
(travel.state.gov) describes the risks in detail.
The restriction on use of U.S. passports to travel to, in or through
Iraq otherwise remains in place until the Secretary lifts the
restriction or it expires. With the exceptions noted above, U.S.
passports are not valid for travel to, in or through Iraq, unless they
are validated by the Department of State.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)