The State Department revoked the status of Revolutionary Organization 17 November, a Greek militant group, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (here) and a Foreign Terrorist Organization (here). Those designations prohibit U.S. citizens from knowingly providing, attempting or conspiring to provide material support or resources or engaging in transactions with those entities designated. The designations also freeze all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens. State declared the group a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997 (here).

The State Department barred U.S. government procurement and goods sales to a range of individuals and organizations, in accordance with the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act (here). That ban covers an organization’s successors, subunits and subsidiaries, and includes all items on the U.S. Munitions List, Export Administration Regulations, as well as any defense or defense-related item. The Commerce Department also will not issue any licenses for any of the following individuals and organizations:

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls released a list in recent days of Commodity Jurisdiction determinations it made over the past seven months (here). The list includes dozens of determinations on goods, ranging from educational software to fans for military vehicles.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following name change notification on Aug. 31 (here):

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls is planning to change its State of Registration Form to “allow for more automated processing” as the first part of an effort to “modernize its information management systems over the next years,” the agency said in recent days (here). The updated form was sent to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, and industry will have an opportunity to comment after approval, said DDTC. “In addition, DDTC is creating an external user stakeholder group that will meet on an ongoing basis as we customize and deploy the case management system,” said the agency. “The stakeholder group will provide feedback and testing as we implement the modernized system.” State directs those interested in joining the group to contact Karen Wrege at Wregekm@state.gov.

The State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls released the notifications it made to Congress over the course of the past year for commercial export licenses of defense or dual-use items, the agency said (here). The disclosure includes a total of 38 notifications to dozens of different countries, and the military equipment involved ranged from ammunition to turbine parts. The notifications are required by the Arms Export Control Act, DDTC said.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following name change notification on Aug. 25 (here):

The State Department designated Abdul Aziz Haqqani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (here). Haqqani is a key leader in the Haqqani Network, a militant group operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, State has said in the past (here). The designation includes prohibitions against knowingly providing, attempting or conspiring to provide material support or resources or engaging in transactions with the individual. The designation also freezes all property and interests of the individuals in the U.S. or in the control of U.S. citizens. In a separate decision, State removed Sajid Mohammad Badat from the terrorist list (here). State designated Badat a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2005 (here).

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls issued the following name change notification on Aug. 14 (here):

Secretary of State John Kerry participated in the raising of the American flag at the new U.S. embassy in Havana on Aug. 14. The embassy opening follows months of Obama administration efforts to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba (see 1507210028), but the sanctions regime against the country remains largely intact (Ref:1504090066]). Kerry led a congressional delegation at the ceremony that included Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., as well as Reps. Karen Bass, D-Calif., Steve Cohen D-Tenn., Barbara Lee D-Calif. and Jim McGovern D-Mass. Those lawmakers have all jumped on board recent legislation aimed at opening trade and restoring full diplomatic relations with Cuba.