Bush tries to scare Belarus' Lukashenka into "Do as I say, not as I do"

On June 20th, Bush signed Executive Order 13405—Blocking Property of Certain Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus

The wording of this EO is very similar to the one issued (EO 13315) against property of individuals and entities of the former Iraqi regime and those related after Bush "won" the war in Iraq.

It also gives the Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Sec of State, the ability to add names to the list of persons affected, without notice.

Granted, Lukashenka is not very democratically minded and additional pressure should be applied. The irony I found is in one telling paragraph of the EO. If the names, dates and places were changed, who would it make you think of???

I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, determine that the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons to undermine Belarus’ democratic processes or institutions, manifested most recently in the fundamentally undemocratic March 2006 elections, to commit human rights abuses related to political repression, including detentions and disappearances, and to engage in public corruption, including by diverting or misusing Belarusian public assets or by misusing public authority, constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat...

Bold hypocrisy at it's finest
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In related news:

Military exercises between Russian and Belarusian forces - the largest ever for the two former Soviet republics - are not directed toward any nation, alliance or enemy in particular, Russia's defense minister said Thursday.

The exercises envisage a joint response to an unnamed, outside military threat.

Russian military officials have announced plans to set up a permanent air base in Belarus and deploy air defense missiles there.