For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 7, 2002
Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate
November 6, 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 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 September 13, 2002, the end of this
reporting period, there were 138 temporary and permanent U.S. military
personnel and 250 U.S. civilians retained as individual contractors in
Colombia involved in supporting Plan Colombia. This report further
indicates that during July, August, and September 2002, these figures
never exceeded the ceilings established in section 3204(b) of the Act,
as amended.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
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