[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
[November 9, 1997]
[Pages 1529-1530]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 1529]]


Letter to Congressional Leaders on Major Narcotics Producing and Transit 
Countries
November 9, 1997

Dear Mr. Chairman:  (Dear Ranking Member:)
    In accordance with the provisions of section 490(h) of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended, I have determined that the 
following countries are major illicit drug-producing or drug-transit 
countries: Afghanistan, Aruba, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, 
Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, 
Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Jamaica, Laos, Malaysia, 
Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand, 
Venezuela, and Vietnam. These countries have been selected on the basis 
of information from the March 1, 1997, International Narcotics Control 
Strategy Report and from other U.S. Government sources.
    This year, I have removed Lebanon and Syria from the list. Both 
countries were placed on the majors list ten years ago on the basis of 
important, illicit opium cultivation in Lebanon's Beka'a Valley, a 
region under the control of Syrian occupation forces. Evidence that 
Syrian troops at the time were protecting and facilitating drug 
cultivation, production, and transportation led to the inclusion of 
Syria on the list beginning in 1992, however, Lebanon and Syria jointly 
began a campaign to eradicate the more than 3,400 hectares of Beka'a 
Valley opium poppy cultivation.
    This effort has been effective, since U.S. Government surveys have 
detected no current opium poppy cultivation. Though both countries are 
transit areas for South American cocaine, and small laboratories in 
Lebanon reportedly refine Southwest Asian opium into heroin destined for 
Europe and the West, there is no evidence that any of these drugs reach 
the United States in quantities that significantly affect the United 
States. I have removed both countries from the majors list this year and 
have placed them on the watch list, with the understanding that they 
will be once again listed as major illicit drug producers or transit 
countries, should the evidence warrant.
Netherlands Antilles. Analysis of the trafficking patterns in the region 
indicates that there is continuing drug activity taking place around the 
Netherlands Antilles, especially in the vicinity of St. Maarten. 
Although at present there is only anecdotal information, it is possible 
that significant quantities of U.S.-bound drugs are involved. If I 
determine that drugs entering the United States from the Netherlands 
Antilles do so in sufficient quantities as to affect the United States 
significantly, I will add the Netherlands Antilles to the list of major 
illicit drug-transit countries.
Turkey and other Balkan Route Countries. Although I remain concerned 
over the large volume of Southwest Asian heroin moving through Turkey 
and neighboring countries to Western Europe along the Balkan Route, 
there is no clear evidence that this heroin significantly affects the 
United States--as required for a country to be designated a major 
transit country. In the event that I determine that heroin transiting 
Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia, 
Croatia, the Former Yugoslavian 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.
Cuba. Cuba's geographical position astride one of the principal 
Caribbean trafficking routes to the United States makes it a logical 
candidate for consideration for the majors list. While there continue to 
be some credible reports that trafficking syndicates use Cuban territory 
(including waters and airspace) for moving drugs, it has yet to be 
confirmed that this traffic carries significant quantities of cocaine or 
heroin to the United States.
Central Asia. There have been recent probes of potential cultivation 
sites in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, traditional opium poppy growing 
areas of the former Soviet Union. These probes did not show 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.
Major Cannabis Producers. While Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, the 
Philippines, and South Africa are important cannabis producers, they do 
not appear on this list since I have determined, pursuant to FAA section 
481(e)(2), that

[[Page 1530]]

in all cases the illicit cannabis is either consumed locally or exported 
to countries other than the United States, and thus such illicit 
cannabis production does not significantly affect the United States.
        Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Jesse Helms, chairman, and Joseph 
R. Biden, Jr., ranking member, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; 
Ted Stevens, chairman, and Robert C. Byrd, ranking member, Senate 
Committee on Appropriations; Benjamin A. Gilman, chairman, and Lee H. 
Hamilton, ranking member, House Committee on International Relations; 
and Robert L. Livingston, chairman, and David R. Obey, ranking member, 
House Committee on Appropriations. This letter was released by the 
Office of the Press Secretary on November 10.