    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [November 12, 2002]
    [Pages 2069-2070]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Senate Transmitting the Inter-American Convention Against
    Terrorism
    November 12, 2002

    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 Inter-American Convention Against
    Terrorism, adopted at the Thirty-Second Regular Session of the OAS
    General Assembly meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados, on June 3, 2002, and
    opened for signature on that date. At that time it was signed by 30 of
    the 33 members attending the meeting, including the United States. It
    has subsequently been signed by another two member states, leaving only

    [[Page 2070]]

    two states that have not yet signed. In addition, I transmit herewith,
    for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of
    State.
        The negotiation of the Inter-American Convention Against Terrorism
    (the ``Convention'') was a direct response to the terrorist attacks on
    the United States on September 11, 2001. At that time, the OAS was
    meeting in Lima, Peru, to adopt a Democratic Charter uniting all 34
    democracies in the hemisphere. The OAS member states expressed their
    strong commitment to assist the United States in preventing such
    incidents from occurring again anywhere in our hemisphere. Within 10
    days, the foreign ministers of the OAS member states, meeting in
    Washington, D.C., endorsed the idea of drafting a regional convention
    against terrorism. Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Mexico played
    particularly important roles in the development and negotiation of the
    Convention.
        The Convention will advance important United States Government
    interests and enhance hemispheric security by improving regional
    cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The forms of enhanced
    cooperation include exchanges of information, exchanges of experience
    and training, technical cooperation, and mutual legal assistance. The
    Convention is consistent with, and builds upon, previous
    counterterrorism instruments and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373,
    which mandates certain measures to combat terrorism.
        The Convention provides for regional use of a variety of legal tools
    that have proven effective against terrorism and transnational organized
    crime in recent years. Since fighting terrorist financing has been
    identified as an essential part of the fight against terrorism, the
    Convention addresses crucial financial regulatory, as well as criminal
    law, aspects. Existing Federal authority is sufficient to discharge the
    obligations of the United States under this Convention, and therefore no
    implementing legislation will be required.
        In particular, the Convention mandates the establishment of
    financial intelligence units for the collection, analysis, and
    dissemination of terrorist financing information and the establishment
    and enhancement of channels of communication between law enforcement
    authorities for secure and rapid exchange of information concerning all
    aspects of terrorist offenses; the exchange of information to improve
    border and customs control measures to detect and prevent movement of
    terrorists and terrorist-related materials; and technical cooperation
    and training programs.
        The Convention also provides measures relating to the denial of
    refugee or asylum status. In addition, the Convention provides that
    terrorist acts may not be considered ``political'' offenses for which
    extradition or mutual legal assistance requests can be denied, and
    provides for other mechanisms to facilitate mutual legal assistance in
    criminal matters.
        In sum, the Convention is in the interests of the United States and
    represents an important step in the fight against terrorism. I therefore
    recommend that the Senate give prompt and favorable consideration to the
    Convention, subject to the understandings that are described in the
    accompanying report of the Department of State, and give its advice and
    consent to ratification.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     November 12, 2002.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    November 13.