[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 46 (Monday, November 18, 2002)]
[Pages 2029-2030]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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 
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.

[[Page 2030]]

    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.