[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 21998]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 109-22

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask unanimous 
consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the following 
treaty transmitted to the Senate on November 14, 2006, by the President 
of the United States:
  Treaty with Malaysia on Mutual Legal Assistance, Treaty Document No. 
109-22.
  I further ask that the treaty be considered as having been read the 
first time; that it be referred, with accompanying papers, to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the 
President's message be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The message of the President is as follows:

To the Senate of the United States:
  With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to 
ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty between the United States 
of America and Malaysia on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, 
signed on July 28, 2006, at Kuala Lumpur. I transmit also, for the 
information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with 
respect to the Treaty.
  The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance 
treaties being negotiated by the United States in order to counter 
criminal activities more effectively. The Treaty should enhance our 
ability to investigate and prosecute a wide variety of crimes. The 
Treaty is self-executing.
  The Treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal 
matters. Under the Treaty, the Parties agree to assist each other by, 
among other things: providing evidence (such as testimony, documents, 
items, or things) obtained voluntarily or, where necessary, by 
compulsion; arranging for persons, including persons in custody, to 
travel to the other country to provide evidence; serving documents 
executing searches and seizures; locating and identifying persons, 
items, or places; examining objects and sites; freezing and forfeiting 
assets or property; and identifying or tracing proceeds of crime.
  I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to 
the Treaty, and give its advice and consent to ratification.
                                                      George W. Bush.  
The White House, November 14, 2006.

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