|
|
|
USIA - Text: Clinton Memo on Drug War Certification, 97-02-28
From: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>
TEXT: CLINTON MEMO ON DRUG WAR CERTIFICATION
(Certification granted Mexico, denied Columbia) (440)
Washington -- President Clinton has decided to certify Mexico as one of the
countries "which have cooperated fully with the United States, or taken
adequate steps on their own," in the fight against international narcotics
trafficking.
In his February 28 determination, however, he denied certification to
Colombia and five other countries. He decided that "it is in the vital
national interest of the United States" to certify three "major illicit
drug producing and/or transit countries" -- Belize, Lebanon and Pakistan.
Following is the text of the President's February 28 memorandum to
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright containing his findings:
(begin text)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
February 28, 1997
MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE
SUBJECT: Certification for Major Narcotics Producing and Transit Countries
By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 490(b)(1)(A) of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, ("the Act"), I hereby determine
and certify that the following major drug producing and/or major drug
transit countries/dependent territories have cooperated fully with the
United States, or taken adequate steps on their own, to achieve full
compliance with the goals and objectives of the 1988 United Nations
Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances:
Aruba, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic,
Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia,
Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 490(b)(1)(B) of the Act,
I hereby determine that it is in the vital national interests of the United
States to certify the following major illicit drug producing and/or transit
countries:
Belize, Lebanon, and Pakistan.
Analysis of the relevant U.S. vital national interests, as required under
section 490(b)(3) of the Act, is attached. I have determined that the
following major illicit drug producing and/or major transit countries do
not meet the standards set forth in section 490(b) for certification:
Afghanistan, Burma, Colombia, Iran, Nigeria, and Syria.
In making these determinations, I have considered the factors set forth in
section 490 of the Act, based on the information contained in the
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report of 1997. Because the
performance of each of these countries/dependent territories has differed.
I have attached an explanatory statement for each of the countries/dependent
territories subject to this determination.
You are hereby authorized and directed to report this determination to the
Congress immediately and to publish it in the Federal Register.
(signed) William J. Clinton
(end text)
From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.gov
|
