Clinton Reports to Congress on Drug-Producing Countries

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 1, 2000

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE CHAIRMEN AND RANKING
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON APPROPRIATIONS, THE
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, AND THE SENATE COMMITTEE
ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

November 1, 2000

Dear Mr. Chairman: (Dear Representative:) (Dear Senator:)

In accordance with the provisions of section 490(h) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (the "Foreign Assistance Act"), I
have determined that the following are major illicit drug producing or
major drug-transit countries: Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Bolivia,
Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan,
Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

This year I have removed Hong Kong and Taiwan from the list of major
illicit drug producing or major drug-transit countries (the "Majors
List").

The Majors List, as required by section 490(h) of the Foreign
Assistance Act, applies to "countries." The term "countries" is
interpreted broadly to include certain entities that exercise autonomy
over actions or omissions that would lead to a decision to place them
on the list and subsequently to determine eligibility or
certification. Therefore, in the past, the Majors List has included
certain entities that are not sovereign states.

I wish to make clear that a country's presence on the list of major
drug-transit countries is not necessarily an adverse reflection on its
counterdrug efforts or on the level of its cooperation with the United
States. Among the reasons that major drug-transit countries are placed
on the list is the combination of geographical, commercial, and
economic factors that allow drugs to transit through a country, in
many cases despite the most assiduous enforcement measures.

I also wish to note my concern over the rising imports of
foreign-origin, illegal synthetic drugs into the United States,
especially MDMA ("Ecstasy") from Europe. We are still collecting
information on this problem, and it is a trend that bears watching
closely in future years.

CHANGES TO THE LIST

Removal of Hong Kong. Hong Kong has been considered a major
drug-transit country since 1987, when the first Majors List was
prepared. Its proximity to the Golden Triangle opium cultivation
countries of Thailand, Laos, and Burma, along with its highly
developed air and sea transport infrastructure, made it a logical
transit point for trafficking organizations moving Southeast Asian
heroin to the United States and other countries in the Western
Hemisphere.

Over the past few years, however, Hong Kong's role as a transit point
for U.S.-bound drugs has declined markedly, due to several factors.
Stringent enforcement measures and extradition agree-ments with
various countries, including the United States, and the risk of having
narcotics shipments seized, have become effective deterrents to
shipping drugs through Hong Kong. At the same time, drug flows from
China through Hong Kong have diminished significantly. As China
continues to develop its coastal cargo-handling facilities and expands
port operations in the south, there is less incentive for drug
traffickers to re-export and transship cargo through Hong Kong.

Seizure rates in both the United States and Hong Kong suggest that
trafficking organizations are no longer using Hong Kong as a transit
point for U.S.-destined heroin. Since 1996, there have been no
significant seizures in the United States of heroin linked with Hong
Kong. Similarly, the Hong Kong authorities report that in the past two
years they have made no large seizures locally of heroin destined for
the United States. Consequently, I am removing Hong Kong from the
Majors List and downgrading it to a country of concern. If in the
future there is evidence of drug flows through Hong Kong that
signifi-cantly affect the United States, Hong Kong will again be
placed on the Majors List.

Removal of Taiwan. In the early 1990s, Taiwan became a transit point
for Asian drug trafficking organizations moving heroin to the Western
Hemisphere. The largest U.S. heroin seizure on record is the nearly
half-ton of heroin that U.S. authorities discovered in Hayward,
California in 1991. The drugs, which originated in China, had
transited Taiwan en route to the United States. Given Taiwan's role in
that transshipment and evidence of Taiwan-related drug flows to the
United States at that time, I added Taiwan to the Majors List in 1995.

Taiwan's role as transit point for drugs destined for the United
States, however, has changed radically in the past few years. More
stringent law enforcement procedures, together with improved customs
inspection and surveillance methods, have all but cut off serious
flows of heroin from Taiwan to the United States. At the same time,
the opening of major container ports in southern China has diminished
Taiwan's importance for the drug trade.

Since Taiwan was designated a major drug-transit country, there have
been no seizures in the United States of heroin that transited Taiwan,
nor have Taiwan authorities identified any important drug shipments
destined for the United States. Therefore, I am removing Taiwan from
the Majors List and downgrading it to a country of concern. If in the
future we detect any drug flows through Taiwan that significantly
affect the United States, Taiwan will again be placed on the Majors
List.

COUNTRIES/ENTITIES AND REGIONS OF CONCERN

In addition to Hong Kong and Taiwan, the following are countries or
regions of concern:

Belize. Belize was removed from the list of major drug-transit
countries in 1999 because there was clear evidence that the drug trade
was not currently using it as a transit point for drugs moving to the
United States. If, at a future date, there is reliable information
that U.S.-bound drugs are again moving through Belize in significant
quantities, it will again be placed on the Majors List.

Central America. Central America's position as a land bridge 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
natural conduit and transshipment area for illicit drugs bound for
Mexico and the United States. Currently, only Guatemala and Panama
have been designated major drug-transit countries, since there is
clear evidence that drug trafficking organizations use their territory
to move significant quantities of illegal drugs to the United States.
The same is not yet true of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, or
Nicaragua.

Although there is no question that varying quantities of drugs do flow
through these countries en route to the United States, the bulk of the
traffic has shifted away from land routes. Stringent law enforcement
and interdiction measures on land have forced trafficking
organizations to move drugs along sea routes. In the event that there
is evidence that drugs transiting these countries are having a
significant effect on the United States, they will be added to the
Majors List.

Iran. While Iran was once a traditional opium-producing country, the
Government of Iran appears to have been successful in eradicating
significant illicit opium poppy cultivation. The latest U.S. survey of
the country revealed no detectable poppy cultivation in the
traditional growing areas. Although one cannot rule out some
cultivation in remote parts of the country, it is unlikely that it
would be sufficient to meet the threshold definition of a major
illicit drug producing country under section 481(e)(2) of the Foreign
Assistance Act.

Important quantities of opiates reportedly continue to transit Iran en
route to Europe, but I have no evidence that these drugs significantly
affect the United States, a requirement for designation as a major
drug-transit country under section 481(e)(5) of the Foreign Assistance
Act. Moreover, Iran has taken extensive measures to thwart the use of
its territory by drug traffickers, seizing well above 200 metric tons
of drugs annually in recent years.

Malaysia. Malaysia was removed from the Majors List two years ago
because there was no evidence that drugs transiting the country were
reaching the United States in significant quantities. That situation
has not changed since that time.

Eastern Caribbean. The Leeward and Windward Islands, together with
Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, constitute a broad geographical
area through which U.S.-bound drugs pass en route from Latin America.
In the right circumstances, any country in the region could become a
major drug-transit country. There is no evidence at this time,
however, that any of these Eastern Caribbean nations is a major
drug-transit country under the definition in section 481(e)(5) of the
Foreign Assistance Act. The information available, however, indicates
that drugs moving through the area are overwhelmingly destined for
Europe. We are, therefore, keeping the region under observation.
Relevant countries will be added to the Majors List, should conditions
warrant.

Turkey and Other Balkan Route Countries. I am concerned by the large
volume of Southwest Asian heroin that moves through Turkey and
neighboring countries to Western Europe along the Balkan Route. There
is no clear evidence, however, that this heroin significantly affects
the United States, as required for a country to be designated a major
drug-transit country. In the event that it is determined that heroin
transiting Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Yugoslavia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, or other European countries on the Balkan Route
significantly affects the United States, the relevant countries will
be added to the Majors List.

Syria and Lebanon. I removed Syria and Lebanon from the list of major
illicit drug producers two 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.

North Korea. We 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 there is evidence that there is indeed poppy cultivation
of 1,000 hectares or more in North Korea or that North Korea is a
transit point for drugs significantly affecting the United States, it
will be added to the Majors List.

Cuba. Cuba's geographical position, straddling one of the principal
Caribbean trafficking routes to the United States, makes it a logical
candidate for consideration for the Majors List. 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. Moreover, in 2000, much of the suspect air traffic that
previously crossed Cuban airspace has now shifted away to Hispaniola
(Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

I will continue to keep Cuba under careful observation for any changes
in current transit patterns. If there is evidence of significant
quantities of drugs transiting Cuba to the United States, Cuba will be
added Cuba to the Majors List.

Central Asia. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are traditional opium poppy
growing areas of the former Soviet Union. However, we have not found
evidence of significant opium poppy cultivation. If ongoing analysis
reveals cultivation of 1,000 hectares or more of poppy, the relevant
countries will be added to the Majors List.

Major Cannabis Producers. While Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, the
Philippines, and South Africa are important cannabis producers, I have
not included them on this 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.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON