In another step to help establish peace and stability in the Western Balkans, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated six individuals and three entities under Executive Order 13219, as amended by Executive Order 13304.

"Today's action furthers the steps taken by the President to act against those who bring strife to the Western Balkans and threaten international stabilization efforts," said Bob Werner, Director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The three entities designated today have obstructed implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia through the continued protection and material support of Persons Indicted for War Crimes (PIFWCs) by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and through organized criminal activity. In addition, six individuals, Ljubisa Beara, Miroslav Bralo, Vlastimir Djordjevic, Goran Hadzic, Vladimir Lazarevic, Sreten Lukic, all of whom are under open indictment by the ICTY, are being designated under E.O. 13304.

Today's designation effectively blocks any assets the designees have located in the United States and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in business or transactions with them.

Under Executive Order 13219, the President of the United States exercised his statutory authority to declare a national emergency in response to the unusual and extraordinary threat to national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by persons who threaten international stabilization efforts in the Western Balkans, including, among others, those persons engaged in, assisting, sponsoring or supporting acts obstructing implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords in Bosnia.