(a) Upon notification to Congress of the Secretary of State's intent to designate an organization as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1189(a), until the publication in the Federal Register as described in paragraph (c) of this section, any U.S. financial institution receiving notice from the Secretary of the Treasury by means of order, directive, instruction, regulation, ruling, license, or otherwise shall, except as otherwise provided in such notice, block all financial transactions involving any assets of such organization within the possession or control of such U.S. financial institution until further directive from the Secretary of the Treasury, Act of Congress, or order of court.

(b) Except as otherwise authorized by order, directive, instruction, regulation, ruling, license, or otherwise, from and after the designation of an organization as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1189(a), any U.S. financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over any funds in which the designated foreign terrorist organization or its agent has an interest shall:

(1) Retain possession of or maintain control over such funds; and

(2) Report to the Secretary of the Treasury the existence of such funds in accordance with § 501.603 of this chapter.

(c) Publication in the Federal Register of the designation of an organization as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1189(a) shall be deemed to constitute a further directive from the Secretary of the Treasury for purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, and shall require the actions contained in paragraph (b) of this section.

(d) The requirements of paragraph (b) of this section shall remain in effect until the effective date of an administrative, judicial, or legislative revocation of the designation of an organization as a foreign terrorist organization, or until the designation lapses, pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1189.

(e) When a transaction results in the blocking of funds at a financial institution pursuant to this section and a party to the transaction believes the funds have been blocked due to mistaken identity, that party may seek to have such funds unblocked pursuant to the administrative procedures set forth in § 501.806 of this chapter. Requests for the unblocking of funds pursuant to § 501.806 must be submitted to the attention of the Compliance Programs Division.

(a) Any transfer after the effective date which is in violation of § 597.201 or any other provision of this part or of any regulation, order, directive, ruling, instruction, license, or other authorization hereunder and involves any funds or assets held in the name of a foreign terrorist organization or its agent or in which a foreign terrorist organization or its agent has or has had an interest since such date, is null and void and shall not be the basis for the assertion or recognition of any interest in or right, remedy, power or privilege with respect to such funds or assets.

(b) No transfer before the effective date shall be the basis for the assertion or recognition of any right, remedy, power, or privilege with respect to, or interest in, any funds or assets held in the name of a foreign terrorist organization or its agent or in which a foreign terrorist organization or its agent has an interest, or has had an interest since such date, unless the financial institution with whom such funds or assets are held or maintained, prior to such date, had written notice of the transfer or by any written evidence had recognized such transfer.

(c) Unless otherwise provided, an appropriate license or other authorization issued by or pursuant to the direction or authorization of the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control before, during, or after a transfer shall validate such transfer or render it enforceable to the same extent that it would be valid or enforceable but for the provisions of this part, and any regulation, order, directive, ruling, instruction, or license issued hereunder.

(d) Transfers of funds or assets which otherwise would be null and void or unenforceable by virtue of the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to be null and void or unenforceable as to any financial institution with whom such funds or assets were held or maintained (and as to such financial institution only) in cases in which such financial institution is able to establish to the satisfaction of the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control each of the following:

(1) Such transfer did not represent a willful violation of the provisions of this part by the financial institution with whom such funds or assets were held or maintained;

(2) The financial institution with which such funds or assets were held or maintained did not have reasonable cause to know or suspect, in view of all the facts and circumstances known or available to such institution, that such transfer required a license or authorization by or pursuant to this part and was not so licensed or authorized, or if a license or authorization did purport to cover the transfer, that such license or authorization had been obtained by misrepresentation of a third party or the withholding of material facts or was otherwise fraudulently obtained; and

(3) The financial institution with which such funds or assets were held or maintained filed with the Office of Foreign Assets Control a report setting forth in full the circumstances relating to such transfer promptly upon discovery that:

(i) Such transfer was in violation of the provisions of this part or any regulation, ruling, instruction, license, or other direction or authorization hereunder; or

(ii) Such transfer was not licensed or authorized by the Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control; or

(iii) If a license did purport to cover the transfer, such license had been obtained by misrepresentation of a third party or the withholding of material facts or was otherwise fraudulently obtained.

(e) Except for exercises of judicial authority pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1189(b), unless licensed or authorized pursuant to this part, any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process is null and void with respect to any funds or assets which, on or since the effective date, were in the possession or control of a U.S. financial institution and were held in the name of a foreign terrorist organization or its agent or in which there existed an interest of a foreign terrorist organization or its agent.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, or as otherwise directed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, any U.S. financial institution holding funds subject to § 597.201(b) shall hold or place such funds in a blocked interest-bearing account which is in the name of the foreign terrorist organization or its agent and which is located in the United States.

(b)(1) For purposes of this section, the term interest-bearing account means a blocked account:

(i) in a federally-insured U.S. bank, thrift institution, or credit union, provided the funds are earning interest at rates which are commercially reasonable for the amount of funds in the account or certificate of deposit; or

(ii) with a broker or dealer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, provided the funds are invested in a money market fund or in U.S. Treasury Bills.

(2) Funds held or placed in a blocked interest-bearing account pursuant to this paragraph may not be invested in instruments the maturity of which exceeds 180 days. If interest is credited to a separate blocked account or sub-account, the name of the account party on each account must be the same and must clearly indicate the foreign terrorist organization or agent having an interest in the accounts.

(c) Blocked funds held as of the effective date in the form of stocks, bonds, debentures, letters of credit, or instruments which cannot be negotiated for the purpose of placing the funds in a blocked interest-bearing account pursuant to paragraph (a) may continue to be held in the form of the existing security or instrument until liquidation or maturity, provided that any dividends, interest income, or other proceeds derived therefrom are paid into a blocked interest-bearing account in accordance with the requirements of this section.

(d) Funds subject to this section may not be held, invested, or reinvested in a manner in which an immediate financial or economic benefit or access accrues to the foreign terrorist organization or its agent.

Any transaction for the purpose of, or which has the effect of, evading or avoiding, or which facilitates the evasion or avoidance of, any of the prohibitions set forth in this part, is hereby prohibited. Any attempt to violate the prohibitions set forth in this part is hereby prohibited. Any conspiracy formed for the purpose of engaging in a transaction prohibited by this part is hereby prohibited.