U.S. terminates 2004 Liberian state-of-emergency order

U.S. President Barack Obama issued an executive order late last week to terminate a national emergency declared in Liberia in July 2004.

"By the authority vested in me as president by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I, Barack Obama, president of the United States of America, find that the situation that gave rise to the declaration of a national emergency in Executive Order 13348 of July 22, 2004, with respect to the actions and policies of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and other persons, in particular their unlawful depletion of Liberian resources and their removal from Liberia and secreting of Liberian funds and property, has been significantly altered by Liberia's significant advances to promote democracy and the orderly development of its political, administrative, and economic institutions, including presidential elections in 2005 and 2011, which were internationally recognized as freely held; the 2012 conviction of, and 50-year prison sentence for, former Liberian President Charles Taylor and the affirmation on appeal of that conviction and sentence; and the diminished ability of those connected to former Liberian President Charles Taylor to undermine Liberia's progress," the official termination order said.

The termination notice also said no action that has not yet been concluded would be affected by the termination.

"This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents or any other person," the order concluded.

The order, which went into effect at 2 p.m. EST on Nov. 12, was forwarded to the U.S. Congress and has been published in the U.S. Federal Register.