[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
[June 24, 2002]
[Pages 1169-1170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on United States 
Individuals Involved in the Antinarcotics Campaign in Colombia
June 24, 2002

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    Pursuant to section 3204(f), title III, chapter 2 of the Emergency 
Supplemental Act, 2000 (the ``Act''), as enacted in the Military 
Construction Appropriations Act, 2001, Public Law 106-246, I am 
providing a report prepared by my Administration. The report provides 
``the aggregate number, locations, activities, and lengths of assignment 
for all temporary and permanent U.S. military personnel and U.S. 
individual

[[Page 1170]]

civilians retained as contractors involved in the antinarcotics campaign 
in Colombia.''
    In so doing, I note and appreciate the continued strong bipartisan 
support given to U.S. programs assisting Colombia in the Act and 
elsewhere.
    This report is classified because of force protection considerations 
and the high level of terrorist threat in Colombia. However, the 
aggregate numbers given below are unclassified.
    The report indicates that as of May 15, 2002, the end of this 
reporting period, there were 168 temporary and permanent U.S. military 
personnel and 233 U.S. civilians retained as individual contractors in 
Colombia involved in supporting Plan Colombia, as described in this 11th 
report to the Congress in accordance with the Act. This report further 
indicates that during March, April, and May 2002, these figures never 
exceeded the ceilings established in section 3204(b) of the Act, as 
amended.
         Sincerely,

                                                          George W. Bush

Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the 
Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
July 3.