[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 31, Number 5 (Monday, February 6, 1995)]
[Pages 182-184]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders on Major Narcotics Producing and Transit 
Countries

February 2, 1995

Dear Mr. Chairman:

    In accordance with section 490(h) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961, as amended, I have determined that the following countries are 
major illicit drug producing or drug transit countries: Afghanistan, The 
Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, 
Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Jamaica, Laos, 
Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, 
Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Venezuela. These countries have 
been selected on the basis of information from the April 1, 1994, 
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report and from other United 
States Government sources.
    While it is an important cannabis producer, Morocco does not appear 
on this list since I have determined that its estimated 30,000 hectares 
of illicit cannabis cultivation are consumed mostly in Europe and North 
Africa as hashish and do not significantly affect the United States. 
(Under section 481(e)(2)(C) of the Foreign Assistance Act, as amended by 
the International Narcotics Control Corrections Act of 1994, the term 
``major illicit drug producing country'' is defined to include countries 
in which 5,000 hectares or more of illicit cannabis is cultivated or 
harvested during a year, unless I determine that such illicit cannabis 
production does not significantly affect the United States.)
    This year the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Taiwan, and Vietnam have 
been added to the

[[Page 183]]

list and Belize has been removed for the following reasons:
        Dominican Republic and Haiti. These countries share an important 
      location astride one of the key transit routes for drugs moving 
      from South America to the United States. Over the past few years, 
      there has been continuing evidence that Colombian traffickers use 
      the Dominican Republic to transship cocaine bound for the United 
      States. A number of metric ton cocaine seizures in Puerto Rico 
      were delivered in small craft proceeding from Dominican ports. In 
      March 1993, the U.S. Coast Guard seized 756 kilograms of cocaine 
      just south of the Dominican Republic. In June 1993, Dominican 
      authorities seized another 784 kilograms on the country's northern 
      coast. As of November 29, 1994, Dominican authorities had seized 
      2.6 metric tons of cocaine this year. These record seizures 
      represent an increasingly active and effective counternarcotics 
      effort on the part of the Dominican government in 1994. We look 
      forward to building upon this cooperation in the coming year.
        There is strong evidence that much of the cocaine passing 
      through the Dominican Republic was originally delivered on the 
      Haitian side of the island, where until September a chaotic 
      political situation provided an environment for drug trafficking. 
      Before the U.S. intervention, Haitian authorities reported seizing 
      716 kilograms of cocaine. Accurate measurement of the volume of 
      drugs moving through Haiti, however, was difficult because of the 
      minimal cooperation from the military regime.
        Since the intervention, measures taken by the Aristide 
      government, as well as improved cooperation between the Haitian 
      and United States Governments, appear to have drastically reduced 
      trafficking through the Haitian part of Hispaniola. We expect that 
      the return of democratic government will make it harder to move 
      drugs through Haiti, but its geographical location will continue 
      to offer a convenient transshipment point for U.S.-bound drugs. We 
      plan to work closely with Haitian authorities to develop even more 
      effective antidrug programs in the months ahead.
        Taiwan. Taiwan has become an important point for the 
      transshipment and repackaging of heroin and should be included on 
      the list on that basis. The recordbreaking U.S. seizures of nearly 
      half a metric ton (486 kilograms) of heroin in 1991 was 
      transshipped through Taiwan. Heroin seizures in Taiwan have risen 
      from 240 kilograms in 1991 to more than one metric ton (1,114 
      kilograms) in 1993, confirming Taiwan's role as a point of major 
      activity in the heroin trade. Taiwan authorities are aware of the 
      heroin trafficking problem they face and have mounted a vigorous 
      drug enforcement campaign that is responsible for the recent high 
      volume of seizures.
        Vietnam. We have no official United States Government estimate 
      of opium cultivation in Vietnam, but the Government of Vietnam and 
      the United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) agree that 
      cultivation far exceeds the 1,000-hectare threshold that requires 
      inclusion on the list as a drug producing country. According to 
      the UNDCP, over 14,000 hectares of opium were cultivated in the 
      1992/93 growing season, 10,000 of which were eradicated and 4,000 
      harvested. A Government of Vietnam source stated that 3,770 
      hectares were cultivated in the 1993/94 season. Vietnam also has a 
      worsening drug addition problem and a growing role as a transit 
      and trafficking point for Southeast Asian heroin.
        Belize. Belize was originally listed as a major cannabis 
      producer at a time when the country's marijuana exports were 
      having an impact in the United States. Since joint eradication 
      efforts have effectively reduced cannabis to negligible amounts. 
      Belize has been removed from the list of major drug producing 
      countries. We will be watching to determine whether it becomes a 
      major transit point for drugs moving to the United States.

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    Although Cambodia and Cuba have not been added to the list during 
this cycle, their strategic location along major trafficking routes 
makes them logical prospects for inclusion as major drug transit 
countries. We do not yet have sufficient information to evaluate either 
country's importance in the transit of U.S.-bound drugs. We will be 
observing them closely with the possibility of adding one or both to the 
list in the future if the circumstances warrant.
    In my letter of January 3, 1994, to your predecessors, setting forth 
last year's list of major illicit drug producing and drug transit 
countries, I noted that we were examining the possibly significant 
illicit cultivation of opium poppies in Central Asia and anticipated 
completion of our assessment by 1995. Because of technical and resource 
limitations, we do not yet have useful survey results on opium 
cultivation in Central Asia. We hope to be in a better position to 
assess the situation by late 1995.
    Sincerely,
                                            William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to Jesse Helms, chairman, Senate 
Committee on Foreign Relations; Mark O. Hatfield, chairman, Senate 
Committee on Appropriations; Benjamin A. Gilman, chairman, House 
Committee on International Relations; and Bob Livingston, chairman, 
House Committee on Appropriations.