Foreign policy and sanctions

Executive Order 13129: Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With the Taliban

President: Bill Clinton

Declared a Taliban-related emergency and blocked Taliban property and specified transactions during 1999–2002.

Status: Revoked — by EO 13268 in 2002.

Is Executive Order 13129 still in effect? No. EO 13268 revoked it in 2002.

What does Executive Order 13129 do?

EO 13129 responded to the Taliban’s provision of safe haven to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. It blocked Taliban property and property of people Treasury designated for acting for or supporting the Taliban, and barred specified U.S. transactions, exports and imports involving the Taliban or its then-controlled territory. The order required safeguarded authorization of civilian food, medicine and medical-equipment sales. In January 2002, State determined the Taliban controlled no Afghan territory for this order’s geographic definition. EO 13268 revoked the order and ended its emergency in July 2002, while moving certain Taliban-related designations to a separate terrorism-sanctions authority. Current restrictions must be checked under later rules.

Administration position: The 1999 territorial ban and the later terrorism-sanctions framework are distinct; the 1999 order is no longer in force.
SignedJuly 4, 1999
EffectiveJuly 6, 1999
Federal RegisterJuly 7, 1999, 64 FR 36759
RevokedJuly 2, 2002 by EO 13268

Before and after

Before the order

There was no national emergency declared by EO 13129.

After the order

The order blocked specified property and transactions, subject to exceptions and licenses.

State changed the territorial description in 2002; EO 13268 then revoked the order.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Treasury, with State and JusticeDesignate covered supporters and administer restrictionsHistorical emergency
Treasury, with StateAuthorize safeguarded civilian food, medicine and medical-equipment salesHistorical emergency
U.S. personsAvoid prohibited transactions and exportsUntil revocation or licensing

What happened next

EO 13129 signed.

State determined the Taliban controlled no territory for the order’s definition.

EO 13268 revoked the order and ended its emergency.