The State Department has resumed processing of all incoming licenses with the return of the Defense Technology Security Administration, the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) said on Oct. 11. There may be expected delays due to adjudication of existing licenses referred during the shutdown, however. The DDTC will continue to operate at normal capacity until further notice, but government furloughs will impact requests for Commodity Jurisdiction determinations, said DDTC.

The Department of State issued Travel Warnings for Chad, Burundi and Sudan, warning U.S. citizens over threats to Westerners and Western interests. The Travel Warning for Chad, issued on Oct. 10 (here), advises U.S. citizens to avoid travel in eastern Chad and border regions. Incidents of robbery, carjacking at gunpoint, and murder are reported in the country, and the central government wields minimal influence in rural areas, said State.

The State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls updated on Oct. 9 its guidelines to help U.S. companies comply with the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).Should inter-agency regulations that impact ITAR take effect, those changes will assume precedence, State said.

The Department of State issued on Oct. 9 a Travel Warning for Lebanon, warning U.S. citizens over the potential for a spontaneous upsurge in violence in the country. Access to borders, airports, roads, and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning, said State, adding that public demonstrations occur frequently with little notice. Numerous militant groups continue to operate in the country that the U.S. deems terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah. The risk of spillover violence from the Syrian conflict is also high, State said. The warning supersedes a State Travel Warning on Oct. 3 (see 13100415).

The Department of State has designated the Muhammad Jamal Network (here) and founder, Muhammad Jamal (here), as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, for committing, or posing significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. The designations were originally endorsed by Secretary of State John Kerry on Aug. 28.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Control issued the following address change on Oct. 7:

The Department of State issued Travel Warnings for Tunisia (here) and Syria (here) on Oct. 4 and Oct. 7, respectively, warning U.S. citizens against travel to those destinations due to unstable conditions. In Tunisia, the potential for demonstrations and unrest is high, said State. The country remains in a “state of emergency” and the U.S. embassy is operating with limited staff. On Sept. 14, 2012, violent mobs caused extensive property damage during an attack on the U.S. Embassy and the American Cooperative School of Tunis, State said. Tunisian security forces have also been targeted, according to State.

The Department of State issued a Travel Warning for Lebanon on Oct. 3, warning U.S. citizens over the potential for spontaneous upsurge in violence and government inability to respond. Access to borders, airports, roads, and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning, said State. Numerous militant groups continue to operate in the country that the U.S. deems terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah. The risk of spillover violence from the Syrian conflict is also high, State said . State did, however, approve the return of non-emergency personnel to the U.S. embassy in Beirut.

The State Department's Directorate of Defense Control issued the following name change on Oct. 2:

The Department of State issued a Travel Warning for North Korea on Oct. 1, warning U.S. citizens of arbitrary arrest and long-term detention. State cautions U.S. citizens that the North Korean government detains individuals for unsanctioned religious and political activities (whether those activities took place inside or outside North Korea), unauthorized travel, or unauthorized interaction with the local population. Four U.S. citizens have been arrested for entering North Korea without a valid passport and visa since 2009, said State.