[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 32 (Monday, August 18, 2008)]
[Page 1132]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Continuation of United States Drug Interdiction Assistance 
to the Government of Colombia

August 15, 2008

 Presidential Determination No. 2008-24

Memorandum for the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense

Subject: Continuation of U.S. Drug Interdiction Assistance to the 
Government of Colombia

    Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 1012 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995, as amended (22 
U.S.C. 2291-4), I hereby certify, with respect to Colombia, that (1) 
interdiction of aircraft reasonably suspected to be primarily engaged in 
illicit drug trafficking in that country's airspace is necessary because 
of the extraordinary threat posed by illicit drug trafficking to the 
national security of that country; and (2) that country has appropriate 
procedures in place to protect against innocent loss of life in the air 
and on the ground in connection with such interdiction, which shall at a 
minimum include effective means to identify and warn an aircraft before 
the use of force is directed against the aircraft.
    The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to publish this 
determination in the Federal Register and to notify the Congress of this 
determination.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this memorandum.