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Learning Center  World View on Blood Diamonds US Policy and Laws
US Policy and Laws | As in most other things, the US has a lot of say when it comes to the issue of conflict diamonds. After the September 11 attacks, the US government became even more involved in this issue. Intelligence reports show that the terrorist group al-Quaida had links with some rebel factions in Sierra Leone. In fact, it was reported that the terrorist group was somehow part of the conflict diamond industry at one point before the infamous attacks occurred.
As a result, the US government became even more motivated to do something to put an end to this cycle of violence and abuse. Yet even before this event, the US had already laid down some measures regarding blood diamonds.
President George W. Bush signed executive order 13312, or Additional Measures with Respect to Prohibiting the Importation of Rough Diamonds from Sierra Leone, in 2003. This was the latest revision in the series of executive orders that President Bush put through that deals with the blood diamond issue. Executive order 13312 is actually derived from executive order 13194.
In this executive order, the US government explicitly recognized the role that the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) played in war-torn Sierra Leone. The executive order also clearly states that it is against the illicit mining of diamonds by the RUF and other rebel factions as well as the trading of these diamonds in order to obtain weapons and ammunition. As a direct result of this, all rough diamonds from Sierra Leone are to be considered illegal in the US.
Of course, those that go through the certification process (as mandated by the government of Sierra Leone and the international community) are not covered by this law.
Another executive order deals with the importation of rough diamonds from Liberia. Executive order 13213 states this ban explicitly. This executive order includes direct or indirect importation of rough diamonds from Liberia. In addition to this, the said rough diamonds need not be directly mined in Liberia. In fact, the ban’s scope includes diamonds that may have come from other countries and sold through Liberia. This is because of the fact that Liberia is well known to be a transit point for blood diamonds coming from other countries in Africa.
Furthermore, the US Congress passed a bill called the Clean Diamonds Act, or H. R. 918. This bill was formed with the knowledge of the illicit activities rebel groups in African countries carry out regarding diamonds. With the Clean Diamonds act, the US was acting in accordance with the resolution the UN came up with in the year 2000. A “rough system of controls” on the diamonds was set up and no rough diamonds can enter the US legally unless this system is satisfied. If ever an individual or a company is caught violating this system, the shipment is to be seized and the profits are to be given to the War Victims Fund. Additional penalties are to be meted out to the offending parties as well.
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Readers Comments Add Your Comments
 | it's nice info writen here thanks
all the best wishes
GINO PHILIP
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