Applications for Licenses to do business with Iran, Syria, and Cuba
| Tracking # |
2013-11-066 |
| Submitted | Nov. 7, 2013 |
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Communications
From: Michael Morisy
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
A copy of the first five pages of each application for licenses to do business with Iran, as well as the final response from OFAC.
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Michael Morisy
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Mr. Morisy,
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has received your FOIA requests dated November 7, 2013, and seeking the first five pages of each application for licenses to do business with Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba, as well as the final response from OFAC. Please note that these requests have been aggregated and will be processed as OFAC FOIA #2013-11-066.
We have determined that for the purposes of your request, you are a "media" requester. The FOIA, specifically 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(A) and Treasury Regulations at 31 C.F.R. Section 1.7 allow us to recover part of the cost of addressing your request. As a "media" requester, you will be charged the costs of duplication only, excluding charges for the first 100 pages. Duplication will be assessed at 20-cents per page.
We would like to schedule a call with you tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26, 2013 to discuss the steps involved in responding to your request, particularly the Submitter Notice process. We have time available between 11 AM and 12:30 PM EDT or after 2 PM EDT. Please let us know when you are available to talk and a good number where we can reach you at the time specified.
Regards,
Elizabeth Moss, Ph.D., M.L.S.
Senior FOIA Reviewer
OFAC
From: Michael Morisy
Can we speak at 2:30 Eastern today?
Thanks for your help!
Michael
From: aDepartment of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Aboslutely. We will call you at the phone number listed below at 2:30 today.
Regards,
Elizabeth
From: aDepartment of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Mr. Morisy,
Thank you for speaking with us just now. This is to follow up our conversation to narrow the scope of your request. With regard to your request for North Korean license applications, please refer to http://www.treasury.gov/FOIA/Pages/ofac-index.aspx.
With regard to your requests pertaining to licenses to do business with Syria, Iran, and Cuba since January 1, 2009 (the last five years), we will process the licenses ONLY. We will NOT process the license applications.
You would also like to know the number of license applications to do business with the aforementioned countries that were denied during the same time period.
We discussed the fact that licenses responsive to your request will have to go through the Submitter Notice process which will impact the timeliness of our response.
Please confirm my understanding of your narrowed request via return email.
Regards,
Elizabeth
From: aDepartment of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
A letter confirming a narrowing and refinement of the request, providing media requester status, and acknowledging the perfected request.
From: Michael Morisy
Thank you so much for your time and help on the phone. This narrowing of the request is helpful, and I appreciate your advice.
I confirm my agreement to narrowing the request as described in your email.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Michael
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
I will return to the office on Wednesday, December 4, and will return your email then.
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 7, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2013-11-066.
Thank you for your help.
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Mr. Morisy:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are currently waiting to receive records responsive to your request from one of our divisions. Once we receive responsive records, we will review them for determination of releasability. As we explained in our November 27, 2013 acknowledgement letter, licenses responsive to your request will need to go through the Submitter Notice process (see 31 C.F.R. ยง 1.6).
Please also be advised that we endeavor to process FOIA requests according to their order of receipt. At the time we received your request, there were 63 open requests ahead of yours.
Kind regards,
OFAC FOIA Office
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 7, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2013-11-066.
Thank you for your help.
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Mr. Morisy,
Our search for records responsive to your request remains ongoing. If you'd like to check back with us in a couple of weeks, we might have a better sense of the time table for processing the subject case.
Regards,
OFAC FOIA Office
From: MuckRock.com
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 7, 2013. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2013-11-066.
Thank you for your help.
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Mr. Morisy:
We have set up a call with our subject matter experts in order to discuss the search for records responsive to the subject FOIA request. You seek copies of licenses issued to do business with Syria, Iran and Cuba since January 1, 2009 (last five years). You would also like to know the number of license applications to do business with those countries which were denied over the same period of time.
The call is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, at 1:20 PM.
Please confirm that you will be available for this call and send us a phone number where we can contact you at the appointed time. If you are not available for this time, please provide us with an alternative.
Thank you,
OFAC FOIA Office
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
Dear Mr. Morisy:
RE: Telephone meeting between OFAC and Michael Morisy (MuckRocK) 03/10/2014
I understand that you are most likely very busy, as we are. To date we have not heard back from you regarding how you would like to narrow the scope of your FOIA request. At our March 10, 2014 meeting we provided you with several ways your request can be narrowed; 1) by time (i.e. year, portion of year), 2) by sanctions program (i.e. Cuba, Syria, Iran) 3) by both year and program.
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
A first set of responsive documents from the agency, with more to be sent at a specified date.
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
A cover letter granting the request and outlining any exempted materials, if any.
From: Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control
A copy of documents responsive to the request.
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