November 10, 1999
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE CHAIRMEN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEES ON FOREIGN RELATIONS AND APPROPRIATIONS AND THE CHAIRMEN OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEES ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND APPROPRIATIONS
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_____________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release November 10, 1999
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE
CHAIRMEN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEES ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
AND APPROPRIATIONS AND THE CHAIRMEN OF THE
HOUSE COMMITTEES ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
AND APPROPRIATIONS
November 10, 1999
Dear Chairman:
In accordance with the provisions of section 490(h) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, I have determined that the following
are major illicit drug producing or drug transit "countries" (including
certain entities that are not sovereign states): Afghanistan, The
Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Laos,
Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand,
Venezuela, and Vietnam.
This year I have removed Aruba and Belize from the majors list; added
Belize as part of this year's Central America region of concern; added
the entire Eastern and Southern Caribbean, including the Leeward and
Windward Islands, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles, as a region of
concern; and also added North Korea as a country of concern.
I wish to make clear that the inclusion of a country or entity on the
majors list does not reflect an assessment of its government's
counter-drug efforts or extent of cooperation with the United States.
For example, among the reasons that a transit country or entity is placed
on the majors list is the combination of geographical, commercial, and/or
economic factors that allow drug traffickers to operate despite the most
assiduous enforcement measures of the government concerned. In the case
of Hong Kong and Taiwan, for instance, both entities have excellent
counter-drug records and cooperate closely with the United States.
Aruba. Aruba was designated as a major transit country in 1997.
While geography makes Aruba, like most of the other island countries in
the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, a potential drug transit point, at
this time we do not have evidence that it is a major transit country for
drugs bound for the United States. Rather, the drug trade there appears
directed toward Europe. We will continue, however, to keep Aruba under
observation together with the rest of the islands in the region.
Belize. Belize's geographical position next to Mexico on the Yucatan
peninsula offers would-be drug smugglers an attractive corridor for
moving drugs into Mexico and on to
the United States. Traffickers have used Belizean territory in previous
years, when enforcement activities elsewhere enhanced the value of this
route. Recently, however, we have detected significantly reduced drug
flows to and through Belize.
Therefore, I have decided to remove Belize from the majors list. If
future monitoring of Central America indicates a resumption of important
drug flows through Belize bound for the United States, I will again place
the country on the majors list.
Central America. Central America's location between South America and
Mexico, together with its thousands of miles of coastline, several
container-handling ports, the Pan-American Highway, and limited law
enforcement capability make the entire region a logical conduit and
transhipment area for illicit drugs bound for Mexico and the United
States. The variance in seizure statistics from country to country, and
their fluctuation from year to year, underscore my concern with Central
America's potential and volatile role as a transit region. For instance,
Panama and Guatemala continue to report more seizures than other
countries in the region, while seizures to date by Costa Rica, Honduras,
and Nicaragua are below levels during the same period in previous years
and flow levels in El Salvador remain low. Taken together, these
circumstances indicate a need to continue to monitor the situation in
Central America.
Cuba. While there have been some reports that trafficking syndicates
use Cuban land territory for moving drugs, we have yet to receive any
confirmation that this traffic carries significant quantities of cocaine
or heroin to the United States. In particular, the intelligence and law
enforcement communities reviewed the information concerning whether the
7.2 metric ton shipment of cocaine seized in Colombia in December 1998,
in a container reportedly headed to Cuba, was destined for the United
States. Their judgment remains that Spain, and not the United States,
was the intended final destination.
We also looked closely at the use of Cuban waters and airspace for
transit of drugs to the United States, as the term "major drug transit
country" is understood to apply to the land, waters, and airspace of a
country over which sovereignty may be exercised, consistent with
international law and United States practice. Although we have detected
what appears to be some air and sea activity consistent with trafficking
patterns, this activity has decreased significantly since last year and
indicates a corresponding decrease in drug flow. We continue to keep
trafficking in the area under close observation and will add Cuba to the
majors list if the evidence warrants.
Eastern and Southern Caribbean. The Leeward and Windward Islands,
together with Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, constitute a broad
geographical area through which drugs bound for the United States may
pass en route from Latin America. We have no evidence at this time,
however, that any of these Eastern Caribbean nations is a major drug
transit country under the statutory definition. The information we do
have indicates that drugs moving through the area are overwhelmingly
destined for Europe. We are, therefore, keeping the region under
observation, and I will add the relevant countries to the majors list
should conditions warrant.
Iran. Although Iran in the past had been a traditional opium
producing country, over the past few years the Government of Iran
reported success in eradicating illicit opium poppy cultivation. A
survey of the country this year revealed no detectable poppy cultivation
in the traditional growing areas. While one cannot rule out some
cultivation in remote parts of the country, it is unlikely that there
would be enough to meet the threshold definition of a major drug
producing country. Important quantities of opiates reportedly continue
to transit
Iran en route to Europe, but we have no evidence that these drugs
significantly affect the United States, a requirement for designation as
a major drug transit country under current legislation.
Malaysia. Malaysia was removed from the majors list last year because
drug flow estimates did not indicate that drugs transiting the country
had reached the United States in significant quantities.
North Korea. Our observations to date have been unable to confirm
reports that significant quantities of opium poppy may be under
cultivation in North Korea or that heroin originating in the country may
be entering the international drug trade. We continue, however, to
monitor the situation. If we confirm that there is indeed significant
poppy cultivation, or that North Korea is a transit point for drugs
significantly affecting the United States, I will add the country to the
majors list.
Syria and Lebanon. We removed Syria and Lebanon from the majors list
2 years ago after we determined that there was no significant opium poppy
cultivation in Lebanon's Biqa' Valley. Recent surveys have confirmed
that there has been no detectable replanting of opium poppy, and we have
no evidence that drugs transiting these countries significantly affect
the United States. We continue, however, to keep the area under
observation.
Turkey and Other Balkan Route Countries. We remain concerned about
the large volume of Southwest Asian heroin moving through Turkey and
neighboring countries to Western Europe along the Balkan Route. We have
no clear evidence, however, that this heroin significantly affects the
United States as required for a country to be designated a major transit
country. In the event that we determine that heroin transiting Turkey,
Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, or other European countries on the Balkan Route
significantly affects the United States, I will add the relevant
countries to the majors list.
Major Cannabis Producers. While Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, the
Philippines, and South Africa are important cannabis producers, we have
not included them on the majors list since in all cases the illicit
cannabis is either consumed locally or exported to countries other than
the United States. I have determined that such illicit cannabis
production does not significantly affect the United States.
Central Asia. We have conducted probes in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan,
traditional opium poppy growing areas of the former Soviet Union. These
probes have not shown significant opium poppy cultivation. If ongoing
analysis reveals cultivation of 1,000 hectares or more of poppy, I will
add the relevant countries to the majors list.
Sincerely,
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
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