For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 31, 2003
Presidential Determination No. 2003-14
SUBJECT: Presidential Determination on Major Drug
Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for 2003
Pursuant to section 706(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization
Act, Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107228) (FRAA), which was enacted on
September 30, 2002, I hereby identify the following countries as major
drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries: Afghanistan,
The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, China, Colombia, Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico,
Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Venezuela, and
Vietnam.
The Majors List applies by its terms to countries. The United
States Government interprets the term broadly to include entities that
exercise autonomy over actions or omissions that could lead to a
decision to place them on the list and, subsequently, to determine
their eligibility for certification. A country's presence on the
Majors List is not necessarily an adverse reflection of its
government's counternarcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the
United States. Consistent with the statutory definition of a major
drug transit or drug producing country set forth in section 481(e)(5)
of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), one of the
reasons that major drug transit or drug producing countries are placed
on the list is the combination of geographical, commercial, and
economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced despite the
concerned government's most assiduous enforcement measures.
Pursuant to section 706(2)(A) of the FRAA, I hereby designate
Burma, Guatemala, and Haiti as countries that have failed demonstrably
during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under
international counternarcotics agreements and take the measures set
forth in section 489(a)(1) of the FAA. Attached to this memorandum are
justifications for each of the countries so designated, as required by
section 706(2)(B).
I have also determined, in accordance with provisions of section
706(3)(A) of the FRAA, that provision of United States assistance to
Guatemala and Haiti in FY 2003 is vital to the national interests of
the United States.
Additionally, the alarming increase in the quantity of illegal
synthetic drugs entering the United States, especially ecstasy from
Europe, is of particular concern. A significant amount of the ecstasy
consumed in the United States is manufactured clandestinely in The
Netherlands (in 2001, a total of 9.5 million ecstasy tablets were
seized in the United States, and the Drug Enforcement Administration
believes that the majority of tablets
originated in The Netherlands). We are working closely with Dutch
authorities to stop the production and export of ecstasy, which we both
regard as a serious threat to our citizens. We expect Dutch
authorities to move effectively and measurably in the coming year
against the production and export of this drug, including dismantling
labs and proceeding against trafficking organizations. Early in the
year, we plan to discuss specific steps we can take together to reduce
drug trafficking.
Although the United States enjoys an excellent level of bilateral
cooperation with Canada, the United States Government is concerned that
Canada is a primary source of pseudoephedrine and an increasing source
of high potency marijuana, which are exported to the United States.
Over the past few years there has been an alarming increase in the
amount of pseudoephedrine diverted from Canadian sources to clandestine
drug laboratories in the United States, where it is used to make
methamphetamine. The Government of Canada, for the most part, has not
regulated the sale and distribution of precursor chemicals. The
regulations to restrict the availability of pseudoephedrine, which the
Government of Canada has just promulgated, should be stronger.
Notwithstanding Canada's inadequate control of illicit diversion of
precursor chemicals, I commend Canadian law enforcement agencies, which
continue to work energetically to support our joint law enforcement
efforts.
Under section 706 of the FRAA, you are hereby authorized and
directed to submit this memorandum to the Congress, and to publish it
in the Federal Register.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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