    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [November 10, 1999]
    [Pages 2057-2059]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders on Certification of Major Drug Producing
    and Transit Countries
    November 10, 1999

    Dear __________:
        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

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    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

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    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

    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 Sam
    Gejdenson, ranking member, House Committee on International Relations;
    and C.W. Bill Young, chairman, and David R. Obey, ranking member, House
    Committee on Appropriations.