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 Proclamations Proc. 7388 \337 \177nex (con,) 8 Annex H Section/\177 Effective with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after October 2, 2000, the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn in the HTS is modified for each of the following HTS subheadings by inserting the symbol "R" in alphabetical order in the parentheses following the "Free" rate of duty. 9101.11.40 9102.11.50 9102.29.25 9108.19.80 9111,90.70 9101.11.80 9102,11.65 9102.29.30 9108.91.10 9113.10.00 9101.19.40 9102.11.70 9102.29.35 9108.91.20 9113.20.20 9101.19.80 9102.11.95 9102.29.40 9108,91.30 9113,20.40 9101.21.10 9102.19.20 9102.29.45 9108.91.40 9113.20.60 9101.21.30 9102.19.40 9102.29.50 9108.91.50 9113.20.90 9101.21.80 9102.19.60 9102.29.55 9108.91.60 9113.90.40 9101.29.10 9102.19.80 9102.29.60 9108.99.20 9113.90.80 9101.29.20 9102.21.10 9102.91.20 9108.99.40 9114.10.40 9101.29.30 9102.21.25 9102.91.40 910S.99.80 9114.30.40 9101.29.40 9102.21.30 9102.91.80 9110.11.00 9114.30.80 9101.29.50 9102.21.50 9102.99.20 9110.12.00 9114.40.20 9101.29.70 9102.21.70 9102.99.40 9110.19.00 9114.40.60 9101.29.80 9102.21.90 9102.99.60 9111.10.00 9114.90.15 9101.99.40 9102.29.02 9102.99.80 9111.20.20 9114.90.40 9102.11.10 9102.29.04 9108.11.40 9111.20.40 9102.11.25 9102.29.10 9108.11.S0 9111.80.00 9102.11.30 9102.29.15 9108.12.00 9111.90.40 9102.11 A5 9102,29,20 9108,19,40 9111.90.50 Section B. Effective on October 2, 2000, U.S. note 2(\275) to subchapter XX of chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by striking "October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005 and subsequent 12- month periods ........... 7,604,685" and by inserting the phrase "and subsequent 12-month periods" immediately after the date "September 30, 2004"in such note. Section C. Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after October 2, 2000, HTS subheading 6402.99.70 is modified by inserting in the Rates of Duty 1-Special subcolumn the symbol ",R" in the parenthetical expression reading "(MX)". Effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after each of the dates set forth in this table, such subheading shall be further modified by deleting the special rate of duty in the HTS that is followed by the symbol "R" in parentheses and by inserting in lieu thereof the following new r\177te of duty: January 1, 2001 ........... 18C/pt. + 11.2% January 1, 2002 ........... 9g/pr. + 3% January 1, 2003 ........... Free 233

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 Proc. 7389 Title 3--The President Proclamation 7389 of December 29, 2000 To Extend Nondiscriminatory Treatment (Normal Trade Relations Treatment) to the Products of the Republic of Georgia By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation 1. The Republic of Georgia (Georgia) has made progress, since its emer- gence from communism, toward democratic rule and the creation of a free market economy. Georgia has also made considerable progress toward re- specting fundamental human rights consistent with the objectives of title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 (the "Trade Act") (\1779 U.S.C. 243% et seq.). Fur- ther, I have found Georgia to be in full compliance with the freedom of emigration requirements under the Trade Act. In \177993, Georgia concluded a bilateral trade agreement with the United States and in \177994 concluded a bilateral investment treaty with the United States. Georgia acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on June 14, 2000. The extension of un- conditional normal trade relations treatment to the products of Georgia will permit the United States to avail itself of all rights under the WTO with respect to Georgia. 2. Pursuant to section 3002 of Public Law \17706-476, \1774 Star. 2\1770% 2\17775, and having due regard for the findings of the Congress in section 300\177 of that law, I hereby determine that title IV of the Trade Act should no longer apply to Georgia. NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitu- tion and the laws of the United States, including but not limited to section 3002 of Public Law \17706-476, do hereby proclaim that: (\177) Nondiscriminatory treatment (normal trade relations treatment) shall be extended to the products of Georgia; and (2) The extension of nondiscriminatory treatment to the products of Georgia shall be effective as of the date of signature of this proclamation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty- fifth. WILLIAM J. CLINTON 234

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 OTHER PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS P\177ge Subchapter A--[Reserved] Subchapter B--Administrative Orders ................................................. 343 Subchapter C--Reorganization Plans ................................................... [None] Subchapter D--Designations ................................................................ [None] Appendix A--List of Messages to Congress Transmitting Budget Rescissions and Deferrals ................................................................. 413 Appendix B--List of Final Rule Documents ....................................... 413 Subchapter B--Administrative Orders Memorandum of January 5, 2000 Delegation of Authority Under Sections 1402 and 1406 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106-65) Memorandum for the Secretmy of Defense By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including section 30\177 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby dele- gate to the Secretary of Defense the duties and responsibilities vested in the President by sections \177402 and \177406 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 ("the Act") (Public Law \17706-65). The Department of Defense shall prepare the report required by section 1402 of the Act with the assistance of the Department of State, the Depart- ment of Commerce, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Treas- ury, the Director of Central Intelligence, and the Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation. The Department of Defense shall obtain concurrence on the report from the following agencies: the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, the Director of Central Intelligence on behalf of the Intelligence Community, the Department of the Treasury, and the Federal Bureau of In- vestigation prior to submission to the Congress. 343

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 Title 3--The President The Departments of Defense and Energy shall jointly prepare the report re- quired by section 1406 of the Act with the assistance of the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, and the Director of Central Intel- ligence. The Departments of Defense and Energy shall obtain concurrence on the report from the following agencies: the Department of State, the De- partment of Commerce, and the Director of Central Intelligence on behalf of the Intelligence Community prior to submission to the Congress. Any reference in this memorandum to the provisions of any Act shall be deemed to be a reference to such Act or its provisions as may be amended from time to time. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Fed- eral Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Januazy 5, 2000. Memorandum of January 5, 2000 Delegation of Authority Under Section 1406 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (Public Law 106-65) Memorandum for the Secretmy of Energy By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby dele- gate to the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Defense the duties and responsibilities vested in the President by section 1406 of the National De- fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 ("the Act") (Public Law 106- 65). The Departments of Energy and Defense shall jointly prepare a report with the assistance of the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, and the Director of Central Intelligence. The Departments of Defense and Energy shall obtain concurrence on the report from the following agencies: the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, and the Director of Central Intelligence on behalf of the Intelligence Community prior to sub- mission to the Congress. Any reference in this memorandum to the provisions of any Act shall be deemed to be a reference to such Act or its provisions as may be amended from time to time. 344

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394 tin part," rapping it with his knuckles, "seems so perfect—sounds so very hollow."

"Sure it's quite perfect, though?" Then, anxiously putting on his spectacles, he scrutinized it pretty closely—"well soldered? quite tight?"

"I should say so, sir; though, indeed, as I said, I never use this sort of thing, myself. Still, I think that in case of a wreck, barring sharp-pointed timbers, you could have confidence in that stool for a special providence."

"Then, good-night, good-night; and Providence have both of us in its good keeping."

"Be sure it will," eying the old man with sympathy, as for the moment he stood, money-belt in hand, and life-preserver under arm, "be sure it will, sir, since in Providence, as in man, you and I equally put trust. But, bless me, we are being left in the dark here. Pah! what a smell, too."

"Ah, my way now," cried the old man, peering before him, "here lies my way to my state-room?"

"I have indifferent eyes, and will show you; but, first, for the good of all lungs, let me extinguish this lamp."

The next moment, the waning light expired, and with it the waning flames of the horned altar, and the waning halo round the robed man's brow; while in the darkness which ensued, the cosmopolitan kindly led the old man away. Something further may follow of this Masquerade.

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 Other Presidential Documents You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Fed- eral Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Janumy 5, 2000. Memorandum of January 5, 2000 Delegation of Authority Under Section 1401(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 {Public Law 106-65} Memorandum for the Secretmy of State By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby de]e- gate to the Secretary of State the duties and responsibilities vested in the President by section 1401(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 ("the Act") (Public Law 106-65). The Department of State shah obtain concurrence on the report from the following agencies: the Department of Defense, the Department of Com- merce, and the Director of Central Intelligence on behalf of the Intelligence Community prior to submission to the Congress. Any reference in this memorandum to the provisions of any Act shah be deemed to be a reference to such Act or its provisions as may be amended from time to time. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Fed- eral Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Janumy 5, 2000. Notice of January 19, 2000 Continuation of Emergency Regarding Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process On January 23, 1995, by Executive Order 12947, I declared a national emer- gency to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national se- curity, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by grave acts of violence committed by foreign terrorists that disrupt the Mid- 345

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 Title 3--The President die East peace process. By Executive Order 12947 of January 23, 1995, I blocked the assets in the United States, or in the control of United States persons, of foreign terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process. I also prohibited transactions or dealings by United States persons in such property. On August 20, \177998, by Executive Order \1773099, I identi- fied four additional persons, including Usama bin Ladin, who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process. I have annually transmitted notices of the continuation of this national emergency to the Congress and the Fed- eral Register. Last year's notice of continuation was published in the Fed- eral Register on January 22, \177999. Because terrorist activities continue to threaten the Middle East peace process and vital interests of the United States in the Middle East, the national emergency declared on January 23, \177995, and the measures that took effect on January 24, 1995, to deal with that emergency must continue in effect beyond January 23, 2000. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. \177622(d)), I am continuing the national emergency with respect to foreign terrorists who threaten to disrupt the Middle East peace process. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Junuuzy 19, 2000. Memorandum of}anuary 27, 2000 Delegation of Authority To Conduct Assessments and Promulgate Regulations on Public Access to Off-Site Consequence Analysis Information Memorundum for the Attorney Generul[, ] the Administrutor of the Environ- rnentul Protection Agency[, und] the Director of the Office of Munugernent and Budget By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including section 112(r)(7)(H) of the Clean Air Act ("Act") (42 U.S.C. 7412(r)(7)(H)), as added by section 3 of the Chemical Safety Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act (Public Law 106-40), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I here- by delegate to: (1) the Attorney General the authority vested in the President under sec- tion 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)(I)(aa) of the Act to assess the increased risk of terrorist and other criminal activity associated with the posting of off-site con- sequence analysis information on the Internet; (2) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority vested in the President under section l\1772(r)(7)(H)(ii)(I)(bb) of the Act to assess the incentives created by public disclosure of off-site con- sequence analysis information for reduction in the risk of accidental re- leases; and 346

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 Other Presidential Documents (3) the Attorney General and the Administrator of EPA, iointly, the au- thority vested in the President under section 112(r)(7)(H)(ii)(II) of the Act to promulgate regulations, based on these assessments, governing the dis- tribution of off-site consequence analysis information. These regulations, in proposed and final form, shall be subiect to review and approval by the Di- rector of the Office of Management and Budget. The Administrator of EPA is authorized and directed to publish this memo- randum in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Janumy 27, 2000. Directire of January 31, 2000 Resolution Regarding Use of Range Facilities on Vieques, Puerto Rico (Community Assistance) Directive to the Secretmy of Defense [and] Director, Office of Management and Budget By separate diroctivo I have addressed the resumption of Navy and Marine Corps training on the island of Vieques. 1. Provided that training opportunity has resumed and is continuously available on Vieques, then within 90 days of this directive, I direct the Of- rico of Management and Budget (OMB) to request authority and funding (which with funding for projects described in paragraph 5(0) of the pre- viously referenced directive will total $40 million) from the Congress for the following projects: (a) To support the construction of a new commercial ferry pier and ter- minal by the Army Corps of Engineers. (b) To establish an artificial roof construction and fish aggregation pro- gram to create substantial now commercial fishing areas for Vioquos fisher- man. Until such time as those now fishing grounds are operational, this leg- islation will authorize direct payments of an amount (to be determined by the National Marine Fisheries Services) to be paid to registered Vioquos commercial fishermen for each day they are unable to use existing waters because the Navy is training. (c) To support expanding or improving the major cross-island roadways and bridges on Vieques. (d) To establish an apprenticeship/training program for young people on Vieques to facilitate participation in small-scale civic construction projects. (e) To establish a program with the Government of Puerto Rico to pre- serve the Puerto Mosquito Vieques bioluminescent bay and to commit Fed- eral resources to its preservation. 347

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 Title 3--The President (f) To establish a professional economic development office for Vieques for the purpose of promoting Vieques and attracting jobs to the island. 2. The Director of OMB shall publish this directive in the Federal Register. WILLIAM }. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Janumy 31, 2000. Directire of January 31, 2000 Resolution Regarding Use of Range Facilities on Vieques, Puerto Rico (Referendum) Directive to the Secretmy of Defense [and] Director, Office of Management and Budget By virtue of the authority vested in me and in order to further the interests of national security and to address the legitimate interests and concerns of the residents of Vieques and the people of Puerto Rico, I hereby direct the following: 1. The future of Navy training on Vieques will be determined by a ref- erendum of the registered voters of Vieques, using Puerto Rico electoral laws and regulations as they exist as of the date of this directive. This ref- erendum will occur on May 1, 2001, or 270 days prior to or following May 1, 2001, the exact date to be specified on the request of the Department of the Navy. (This specified date and the terms of the referendum must be re- quested at least 90 days in advance of the referendum.) It is understood that the full implementation of this directive is contingent upon the Gov- ernment of Puerto Rico authorizing and supporting this referendum, and the cooperation of the Government of Puerto Rico as specified in paragraph 5(a). 2. This referendum will present two alternatives. The first shall be that the Navy will cease all training not later than May 1, 2003. The second will permit continued training, to include live fire training, on terms proposed by the Navy. Live fire training is critical to enhance combat readiness for all our military personnel and must occur in some location. 3. In the event the referendum selects the option of termination of Navy activities, then (a) Navy lands on the Eastern side of Vieques (including the Eastern Ma- neuver Area and the Live Impact Area) will be transferred within 1 year of the referendum to the General Services Administration (GSA) for dis- posal under the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, except for conservation zones, which will be transferred to the Department of the Interior for continued preservation. (b) The GSA will supervise restoration of the lands described in section 3(a) consistent with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Com- pensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) before it is further transferred under 348

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 Other Presidential Documents the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, except that the Live Impact Area will be swept for ordnance and fenced to meet the same range standards used after the closure of the live impact area used by Naval Air Station, South Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Government of Puerto Rico may request transfer of the restored lands in accordance with the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act. (c) Under no conditions will the land described in this section be returned to the Department of Defense or used for military training. 4. In the event the referendum selects the option of continued training sub- mitted by the Navy, the Office of Management and Budget will request con- gressional funding to further provide for the enhancement of infrastructure and housing on the Western portions of Vieques in the amount of $50 mil- lion. 5. Between the date of this directive and the referendum, the following will Occur: (a) The Department of Defense and the Government of Puerto Rico will work in cooperation with relevant Federal authorities to ensure the integ- rity and accessibility of the range is uninterrupted and trespassing and other intrusions on the range cease entirely by providing complementary support among Federal and Puerto Rican iurisdictions. (b) Navy training on Vieques will recommence, but it shall not exceed 90 days per calendar year and will be limited to nonexplosive ordnance, which may include spotting devices. (c) The Navy will ensure procedures are in place that will enhance safety and will position ships to reduce noise in civilian areas whenever possible. (d) Before any maior training occurs on the range, the Government of Puer- to Rico, through its Secretary of State, will be given 15 days notification under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding of 1983. (e) The Office of Management and Budget will initiate a funding request to the Congress: (\177) to fund a Public Health Service study in coordination with appropriate agencies to review health concerns raised by the residents of Vieques. (2) to complete the conveyance of ll0 acres of Navy property to extend the runway at the Vieques Municipal Airport to accommodate larger passenger aircraft; and for the Navy to provide training and supplemental equipment to bolster the airport fire, safety, and resource capability. (3) to maintain the ecosystem and conservation zones and implement the sea turtle, sea mammal, and Brown Pelican management plans as specified in the Memorandum of Understanding of \177983. (f) Within 30 days of this directive, the Navy will submit legislation to the Congress to transfer land on the Western side of Vieques surrounding the Naval Ammunition Facility (except 100 acres of land on which the ROTHR and Mount Pirata telecommunications sites are located). The legislation submitted will provide for land transfer not later than December 3% 2000. This transfer will be to the Government of Puerto Rico for the benefit of the municipality of Vieques as determined by the Planning Board of the Government of Puerto Rico. This land shall be restored consistent with CERCLA standards prior to transfer. 349

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 Title 3--The President 6. The Director of OMB shall publish this directive in the Federal Register. WILLIAM }. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Janumy 31, 2000. Presidential Determination No. 2000-10 of January 31, 2000 Determination Pursuant to Section 523 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000, as Contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2000 (Public Law 106-113) Memorandum for the Secretmy of State Pursuant to section 523 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000, as Contained in the Consoli- dated Appropriations Act for FY 2000 (Public Law 106-113), I hereby cer- tify that withholding from international financial institutions and other international organizations and programs funds appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to that Act is contrary to the national interest. You are authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Fed- eral Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Janamy 31, 2000. Presidential Determination No. 2000-11 of February 1, 2000 Assistance Program for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union Memorandum for the Secretmy of State Pursuant to subsection 517(b) in title V of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000 (Public Law 106-113), I hereby determine that it is in the national security interest of the United States to make available funds appropriated under the heading "Assistance for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union" in title II of that Act without regard to the restriction in that subsection. You are directed to report this determination to the Congress and publish it in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Feb\177my 1, 2000. 35O

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 Other Presidential Documents Presidential Determination No. 2000-12 of February 10, 2000 United States Military Activities in East Timor Memorandum for the Secretmy of State Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President, including under sec- tions 10(d)(1) and 10(a)(2)(B) of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945, as amended (22 U.S.C. 287 et seq.) (the "Act"), I hereby: (a) determine that the deployment of United States military forces to sup- port East Timoffs transition to independence without reimbursement from the United Nations is important to the security interests of the United States; and (b) delegate to you the authority contained in section \1770(d)(\177) of the Act with respect to assistance to support East Timoffs transition to independ- ence that is covered by section \1770 of the Act. You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the Con- gress and to arrange for its publication in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Febtomy 10, 2000. Memorandum of February 16, 2000 Action Under Section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 Concerning Steel Wire Rod Memorandum for the Secretmy of the Treasmy [and] the United States Trade Representative On July 12, \177999, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) submitted a report to me of its investigation under section 202 of the Trade Act of \177974, as amended (the "Trade Act"), with respect to im- ports of steel wire rod. The USITC commissioners were equally divided in their determinations under section 202(b) of the Trade Act of whether steel wire rod is being imported into the United States in such increased quan- tities as to be a substantial cause of serious injury or threat of serious injury to the domestic steel wire rod industry. The report also contained negative findings by the ITC pursuant to section 3\177(a) of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the "NAFTA Implementation Act") with respect to imports of steel wire rod from Canada and Mexico. Having reviewed the determinations of both groups of commissioners, I have decided pursuant to section 330(d)(1) of the Tariff Act of \177930 to con- sider the determination of the group of commissioners voting in the affirm- ative to be the determination of the USITC. After taking into account all relevant considerations, including the factors specified in section 203(a)(2) of the Trade Act, I have implemented action of a type described in section 203(a)(3) of that Act. I have determined that the most appropriate action is a tariff-rate quota on imports of steel wire 351

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 Title 3--The President rod, other than enumerated steel wire rod products ("excluded products"), with an increase in currently scheduled rates of duties for imports above the tariff-rate quota level. I have proclaimed such action for a period of 3 years and 1 day in order to facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a positive adjustment to import competition. Specifically, I have established a tariff-rate quota for steel wire rod in an amount equal to 1.58 million net tons in the first year (March \177, 2000 through February 28, 200\177), an amount that is equivalent to \177998 import levels of covered products from the countries subject to the TRQ plus 2 percent (to account for growth in demand). The tariff-rate quota amount will increase by 2 percent annually in the second and third years of relief. I have established increased rates of duty for imports above the tariff-rate quota level: namely \1770 percent ad valorem in the first year of relief, 7.5 percent ad valorem in the second year of relief, and 5 percent ad valorem in the third year of relief. In addition, I have provided that during each quarter of the first three quarters of a quota year, any articles subject to the tariff-rate quota entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption in excess of one-third of the total within-quota quantity for that quota year shall be subject to the over-quota rate of duty then in effect. During the fourth quarter of a quota year, the tariff-rate quota shall apply as though the preceding sentence did not have effect, except that any imports subject to the over-quota duty as a result of the preceding sentence shall not be counted against the in-quota quantity for that quota year. In this regard, I instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to publish or otherwise make avail- able on a weekly basis, import statistics that will enable importers to iden- tify the rate at which the in-quota quantity for that quota year, and the por- tion of the in-quota quantity allotted to that quarter, is being filled. I further instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to seek to obtain by March l, 2000 statistical subdivisions in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for the excluded products (specified in the Annex to the proclamation). The Secretary of the Treasury will monitor imports of the excluded products by country of ori- gin and imports the product of Mexico and Canada throughout the period of this action, and report to the United States Trade Representative on rel- evant volumes each quarter during the period of this action, or more often as needed, or as the United States Trade Representative may request. I have further determined, pursuant to section 3\1772(a) of the NAFTA Imple- mentation Act, that imports of steel wire rod produced in Canada and Mex- ico do not account for a substantial share of total steel wire rod imports or are not contributing importantly to the serious injury or threat of serious injury. Therefore, pursuant to section 3\1772(b) of the NAFTA Implementation Act, the safeguard measure will not apply to imports of steel wire rod that is the product of Canada or Mexico. I have determined that the actions described above will facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a positive adjustment to import competition and provide greater economic and social benefits than costs. This action will provide the domestic industry with necessary temporary relief from in- creasing import competition, while also assuring our trading partners con- tinued access to the United States market. Pursuant to section 204 of the Trade Act, the USITC will monitor develop- ments with respect to the domestic industry, including the progress and specific efforts made by workers and firms in the domestic industry to 352

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 Other Presidential Documents make a positive adjustment to import competition, and will provide to me and to the Congress a report on the results of its monitoring no later than the date that is the mid-point of the period during which the action I have taken under section 203 of that Act is in effect. I further instruct the United States Trade Representative to request the USITC pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)) to examine the effects of this action on both the domestic wire rod industry and the prin- cipal users of wire rod in the United States, and to report on the results of its investigation in conjunction with its report under section 204(a)(2). The United States Trade Representative is authorized and directed to pub- lish this memorandum in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Febt,amy 16, 2000. Presidential Determination No. 2000-13 of February 16, 2000 Determination on Eligibility of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) To Be Furnished Defense Articles and Services Under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act Memorandum for the Secretmy of State Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 503(a) of the Foreign As- sistance Act of 1961, as amended, and section 3(a)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act, I hereby find that the furnishing of defense articles and serv- ices to the Economic Community of West African States will strengthen the security of the United States and promote world peace. You are directed to report this determination to the Congress and to pub- lish it in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Februmy 16, 2000. Memorandum of February 18, 2000 Action Under Section 203 of the Trade Act of 1974 Concerning Line Pipe Memorandum for the Secretmy of the Treusmy [and] the United States Trade Hepresentative On December 22, 1999, the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) submitted a report to me that contained: (1) a determination pursu- 353

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 Title 3--The President ant to section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the "Trade Act"), that certain circular welded carbon quality line pipe (line pipe) is being im- ported into the United States in such increased quantities as to be a sub- stantial cause of serious iniury or threat of serious iniury to the domestic line pipe industry; and (2) negative findings by the USITC pursuant to sec- tion 311(a) of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the "NAFTA Implementation Act") with respect to imports of line pipe from Canada and Mexico. After taking into account all relevant considerations, including the factors specified in section 203(a)(2) of the Trade Act, I have implemented action of a type described in section 203(a)(3) of that Act. I have determined that the most appropriate action is an increase in duty on imports of certain line pipe. The additional duty will be 19 percent ad valorem in the first year of relief, declining to 15 and 11 percent ad valorem in the second and third years, respectively. The first 9,000 short tons of imports from each supplying country will be exempted from the increase in duty during each year that the action is in effect. I have proclaimed such action for a period of 3 years and 1 day in order to facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a positive adiustment to import competition. In this regard, I instruct the Secretary of the Treasury to publish or other- wise make available, on a weekly basis, import statistics that will enable importers to identify when imports from each supplying country approach and then exceed the 9,000 short ton threshold. I further instruct the Sec- retary of the Treasury to establish monitoring categories for those countries with American Petroleum Institute certified (API-certified) line pipe pro- duction facilities. Any importations of line pipe from a country without an API-certified line pipe production facility should be treated as line pipe subiect to this action but monitored for possible transshipment. I further in- struct the Secretary of the Treasury to seek to obtain by March 1, 2000, a statistical subdivision in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for the covered products specified in the Annex to the proclamation. The Secretary of the Treasury will monitor line pipe imports that are the product of Mexico and Canada by country of origin throughout the period of this action and report to the United States Trade Representative on relevant volumes each quarter during the period of this action, or more often as needed, or as the United States Trade Representative may request. I have determined, pursuant to section 312(a) of the NAFTA Implementa- tion Act, that imports of line pipe produced in Canada and Mexico, consid- ered individually, do not contribute importantly to the serious iniury, or threat of serious iniury. Therefore, pursuant to section 312(b) of the NAFTA Implementation Act, the safeguard measure will not apply to imports of line pipe that is the product of Canada or Mexico. I have determined that the actions described above will facilitate efforts by the domestic industry to make a positive adiustment to import competition and provide greater economic and social benefits than costs. This action will provide the domestic industry with necessary temporary relief from in- creasing import competition, while also assuring our trading partners con- tinued access to the U.S. market. Pursuant to section 204 of the Trade Act, the USITC will monitor develop- ments with respect to the domestic industry, including the progress and specific efforts made by workers and firms in the domestic industry to 354

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 Other Presidential Documents make a positive adjustment to import competition, and will provide to me and to the Congress a report on the results of its monitoring no later than the date that is the mid-point of the period during which the action I have taken under section 203 of that Act is in effect. I further instruct the United States Trade Representative to request the USITC pursuant to section 332(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1332(g)), to examine the effects of this action on both the domestic line pipe industry and the prin- cipal users of line pipe in the United States, and to report on the results of its investigation in conjunction with its report under section 204(a)(2). The United States Trade Representative is authorized and directed to pub- lish this memorandum in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Febrainy 18, 2000. Presidential Determination No. 2000-14 of February 18, 2000 Vietnamese Cooperation in Accounting for United States Prisoners of War and Missing in Action (POW/MIA) Memorandum for the Secretmy of State As provided under section 610 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, as contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY 2000 (Public Law 106-113), I hereby determine, based on all information available to the United States Government, that the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is fully cooperating in good faith with the United States in the following four areas related to achieving the fullest possible accounting for Americans unaccounted for as a result of the Vietnam War: 1) resolving discrepancy cases, live sightings, and field activities; 2) recovering and repatriating American remains; 3) accelerating efforts to provide documents that will help lead to the fullest possible accounting of POW/MIAs; and, 4) providing further assistance in implementing trilateral investigations with Laos. I further determine that the appropriate laboratories associated with POW/ MIA accounting are thoroughly analyzing remains, material, and other in- formation and fulfilling their responsibilities as set forth in subsection (B) of section 609 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judi- ciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999, as contained in the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105-277), and information pertaining to this accounting is being made available to immediate family members in compliance with 50 U.S.C. 435 note. 355

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 Title 3--The President I have been advised by the Department of Justice and believe that section 610 is unconstitutional because it purports to use a condition on appropria- tions as a means to direct my execution of responsibilities that the Con- stitution commits exclusively to the President. I am providing this deter- mination as a matter of comity, while reserving the position that the condi- tion enacted in section 610 is unconstitutional. In making this determination, I have taken into account all information available to the U.S. Government as reported to me, the full range of ongo- ing accounting activities in Vietnam, including joint and unilateral Viet- namese efforts, and the concrete results we have attained as a result. Fi- nally, in making this determination, I wish to reaffirm my continuing per- sonal commitment to the entire POW/MIA community, especially to the immediate families, relatives, friends, and supporters of these brave indi- viduals, and to reconfirm that the central, guiding principle of my Vietnam policy is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of our prisoners of war and missing in action. You are authorized and directed to report this determination to the appro- priate committees of the Congress and to publish it in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Februmy 18, 2000. Presidential Determination No. 2000-15 of February 24, 2000 U.S. Contribution to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO): Certification and Waiver Under the Heading "Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Detaining and Related Programs" in Title II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000, as Enacted in Public Law 106-113 Memorandum for the Secretmy of State Pursuant to section 576(b) of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2000 (the Act), as enacted in the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2000 (Public Law \17706-\1773), I hereby certify that: (\177) the parties to the Agreed Framework have taken and continue to take demonstrable steps to implement the Joint Declaration on Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in which the Government of North Korea has committed not to test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, store, deploy, or use nuclear weapons, and not to possess nu- clear reprocessing or uranium enrichment facilities; (2) the parties to the Agreed Framework have taken and continue to take demonstrable steps to pursue the North-South dialogue; and (3) North Korea is complying with all provisions of the Agreed Frame- work. 356

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 Other Presidential Documents Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 576(d) of the Act, I here- by determine that it is vital to the national security interests of the United States to furnish up to $15 million in funds made available under the head- ing "Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs" of the Act, for assistance for KEDO, and therefore I hereby waive the require- ment in section 576(b) to certify that: (4) North Korea has not diverted assistance provided by the United States for purposes for which it was not intended; and (5) North Korea is not seeking to develop or acquire the capability to en- rich uranium, or any additional capability to reprocess spent nuclear fuel. You are hereby authorized and directed to report this certification and waiver to the Congress and to arrange for its publication in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Feb\177my 24, 2000. Notice of February 25, 2000 Continuation of the National Emergency Relating to Cuba and of the Emergency Authority Relating to the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels On March l, \177996, by Proclamation 6867, I declared a national emergency to address the disturbance or threatened disturbance of international rela- tions caused by the February 24, \177996, destruction by the Government of Cuba of two unarmed U.S.-registered civilian aircraft in international air- space north of Cuba. In July \177996 and on subsequent occasions, the Gov- ernment of Cuba stated its intent to forcefully defend its sovereignty against any U.S.-registered vessels or aircraft that might enter Cuban territorial wa- ters or airspace while involved in a memorial flotilla and peaceful protest. Since these events, the Government of Cuba has not demonstrated that it will refrain from the future use of reckless and excessive force against U.S. vessels or aircraft that may engage in memorial activities or peaceful pro- test north of Cuba. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the Na- tional Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. \177622(d)), I am continuing the national emergency with respect to Cuba and the emergency authority relating to the regulation of the anchorage and movement of vessels set out in Proclama- tion 6867. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Februmy 25, 2000. 357

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 Title 3--The President Presidential Determination No. 2000-16 of February 29, 2000 Presidential Determination on Major Illicit Drug Producing and Drug Transit Countries Memorandum for the Secretmy of State By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 490(b)(1)(A) of the For- eign Assistance Act of 196% as amended (the "Act"), I hereby determine and certify that the following major illicit drug producing and/or major il- licit drug transit countries (and certain jurisdictions) have cooperated fully with the United States, or have taken adequate steps on their own, to achieve full compliance with the goals and objectives of the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psyche- tropic Substances: The Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam. By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 490(b)(1)(B) of the Act, I hereby determine that it is in the vital national interests of the United States to certify the following major illicit drug producing and/or major il- licit drug transit countries: Cambodia, Haiti, Nigeria, and Paraguay. I have determined that the following major illicit drug producing and/or major illicit drug transit countries do not meet the standards set forth in section 490(b) for certification: Afghanistan, Burma. In making these determinations, I have considered the factors set forth in section 490 of the Act, based on the information contained in the Inter- national Narcotics Control Strategy Report of 2000. Analysis of the relevant U.S. vital national interests, as required under section 490(b)(3) of the Act in the case of the countries certified on this basis, is attached. Given that the performance of all of these countries/jurisdictions has differed, I have also attached an explanatory statement for each of the other countries/juris- dictions subject to this determination. You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, Feb\177my 29, 2000. Statements of Explanation Afghanistan In 1999 Afghanistan cultivated a larger opium poppy crop and harvested more opium gum than any other country by a wide margin. U.S. sources estimate a 23 percent increase in the opium harvest, while United Nations Drug Control Program (UNDCP) data point to a more dramatic 70 percent 358

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 Other Presidential Documents increase. There were also increases in the refining of opium into heroin and in drug trafficking from Afghanistan into neighboring countries. The largest of Afghanistan's factions, the Tallban, which controls 85-90 percent of Afghanistan and 97 percent of the area where opium is cultivated, rives significant income from every phase of drug production and traf- ficking. In spite of its own 1\365\3657 ban on the cultivation of opium poppy, the Tallban acknowledge they tax the crop at about l0 percent, and allow it to be sold in open bazaars. Crop taxation imparts legitimacy to opium cultivation and distribution, and means that the Tallban benefits directly from the entire opium business. The Tallban also receives payments di- rectly from traffickers. The United States Government (USG) has spoken about the drug problem directly with Tallban officials and indirectly through the UNDCP. We have repeatedly urged the Tallban to enforce its \177997 ban on opium poppy cul- tivation. The Taliban response was at least a 23 percent increase in opium production over \177998. We also urged the Taliban to honor its commitments to reduce poppy cultivation in exchange for the delivery of alternative de- velopment assistance. But in a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) proiect area receiving generous USG funding, poppy cultivation surged 68 percent, according to a UNDCP survey. Heroin labs are proliferating throughout Afghanistan, particularly near international borders. The Tallban claims success for some counter-drug measures. According to the UNDCP, the Tallban destroyed 34 drug laboratories. The Tallban also has made unverified claims of seizures of 500 kg of opium, 70 kg of heroin, and \177200 liters of acetic anhydride and other heroin production chemicals. The Tallban Leader, Mullah Omar, who promulgated the \177997 ban on opium cultivation, ordered a one-third nation-wide reduction in poppy cul- tivation for the 1999-2000 growing season but, as noted, past commitments were not honored. Overall, there was a sharp increase in poppy cultivation, in refining of opium into heroin, and in trafficking of illicit opiates in Afghanistan. There is a growing body of evidence that the largest of Afghanistan's factions, the Tallban, is fully complicit in every phase of drug production and traf- ficking. Sharp increases in large-scale opium cultivation and trafficking in Afghanistan, plus the failure of the authorities to initiate an appropriate law enforcement response, preclude a determination that Afghanistan has taken adequate steps on its own or that it has sufficiently cooperated with USG counter-drug efforts to meet the goals and obiectives of the UN \177988 Drug Convention, to which Afghanistan is a party. In the absence of verifiable and unambiguous steps by the Tallban to stop the promotion of poppy cultivation (such as an end to the opium crop tax), the United States and other concerned countries are compelled to redirect their counter-drug efforts to interdiction and border control strategies in surrounding coun- tries. The Bahamas The Bahamas is a maior transit country for drugs en route to the United States from South America and the Caribbean. The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (GCOB) and the USG continue to enioy a productive counter-drug working relationship. The Bahamas is a party to the \177988 UN Drug Convention, and the GCOB works to meet its goals and obiectives as well as those of U.S.-Bahamas bi- 359

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 Title 3--The President lateral drug control agreements. The GCOB places a high priority on com- bating drug transshipments through its archipelago and works closely with the USG on Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT). The USG looks forward to assisting The Bahamas to improve its maritime end-game capability, without which sustained drug interdiction, arrest and convic- tion of traffickers, and the forfeiting of their assets is improbable. Given the volume of commercial shipping through The Bahamas, the GCOB needs to rigorously implement its chemical control laws to prevent illegal diversion of precursor and essential chemicals. Bahamian authorities continue monitoring bank compliance and inves- tigating suspicious financial transactions under the 1996 money laundering law. Increased supervision of the offshore banking sector and training of all financial sector employees, however, will be necessary in order to increase the number of suspicious activity reports, which is still very small given the size of The Bahamas financial services sector. Despite several public statements of commitment, the GCOB has not established a financial intel- ligence unit (FIU) or to seek membership in the Egmont Group. In 1999, the GCOB passed legislation which allows designation of the United States under Bahamian asset forfeiture laws, based on reciprocity. This will allow Bahamian courts to enforce U.S. forfeiture orders in many cases. The GCOB took further steps in \177999 to strengthen its judicial system, with USG assistance. Despite these efforts, no major Bahamian drug traf- ficker has been convicted in The Bahamas and sent to prison, due largely to continuing delays in the courts. In addition, weak bail laws allow ar- rested drug traffickers to obtain bail and continue transshipping drugs while awaiting trail. Notwithstanding committed and talented judicial lead- ership, The Bahamas needs to improve the effectiveness of its court system and its Attorney General's office in gaining convictions against major drug traffickers. The Bahamas also needs to improve its responsiveness to U.S. requests under the mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) and to speed the processing of extradition cases. In October \177999, for the first time in recent history, a Bahamian law en- forcement official was assassinated, allegedly by Bahamian drug dealers in retaliation for his stand against a corrupt official or to prevent his testi- mony. The GCOB should ratify the Inter-American Convention against Cor- ruption and assure that corrupt public officials are effectively prosecuted. Finally, the GCOB needs to move quickly to complete and adopt a com- prehensive national drug strategy containing goals and objectives as well as measures of effectiveness. Bolivia Exceeding the schedule of its own five year plan to eliminate all illicit coca from Bolivia, in \177999 the Banzer administration eradicated an unprec- edented \1776,999 hectares of coca, for a net reduction of 43 percent. Although Bolivia remains the world's third largest producer of cocaine, with the ability to produce a potential 70 metric tons, Bolivian cocaine be- came less marketable in 1999 due to a very successful law enforcement ef- fort to prevent precursor chemicals from being smuggled in from neigh- boring countries. As a result of significant law enforcement pressure, Boliv- ian cocaine producers were forced to use less efficient means of processing with substitute or recycled chemicals, and cutting agents, such as manitol. The purity of finished Bolivian cocaine hydrochloride (HC1) dropped to as 36O

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 Other Presidential Documents low as 47 percent, causing Brazilian and other traffickers to buy only Boliv- ian cocaine base and finish the processing in Brazil. The GOB began preparations for an eradication program in the Yungas in 2000 to eliminate the coca exceeding the legally allowable 12,000 hec- tares. There is evidence that Yungas coca is being diverted to the illicit market for conversion to cocaine products. Despite a slight downturn in the Bolivian export sector in 1999, export volumes of nearly all alternative development crops improved. Banana ex- ports to Chile and Argentina increased 20 percent over \177998. Demand for alternative development assistance by former coca farmers, however, is ex- ceeding supply. In \177999, the Bolivian legislature enacted the final portion of the judicial reform package, the new code of criminal procedures. It establishes an ac- cusatory, adversarial, oral, public criminal trial system that may also help to diminish corruption and improve the credibility of the iudicial system. The new code permits the police to use undercover agents and to make controlled deliveries of illicit drugs and other contraband. The Judicial Council, created in \177998 to depo]iticize the selection of iudges and to serve as a mechanism for disciplining members of the iudiciary, had some of its powers to administratively remove corrupt iudges diminished by the Con- stitutional Tribunal, which ruled that members of the iudiciary can only be removed subsequent to a final iudgement by a criminal court. For the third year since the passage of the anti-money laundering law, no action was taken against money laundering. The legal ambiguities re- garding asset seizure and forfeiture have not been resolved, and the system remains inefficient. Brazil Brazil is a significant transit country for illicit drugs en route to the United States, and a maior producer of precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs. Since taking office in \177995, the administration of President Fernando Enrique Cardoso has demonstrated a firm commitment to countering the flow of illegal drugs through Brazilian territory, and to establishing an ef- fective law enforcement infrastructure capable of taking action against the domestic and international criminal syndicates engaged in drug trafficking. In 1999, the Government of Brazil (GOB) worked closely with regional neighbors and U.S. law enforcement agencies in pursuit of mutual counter- drug obiectives, achieving particularly impressive results against corruption and money laundering. The most visible initiative in \177999 was the formation in April of the Congressional Panel of Inquiry (CPI) on drug trafficking. The Panel's high- profile investigations into the country's organized drug networks have led to over \1775 arrests, including many tainted government officials. Through its actions, the CPI has illustrated the drug trade's corrosive effect on pub- lic institutions and energized previously isolated voices against corruption and trafficker impunity. Criminal interests have long exploited Brazil's highly developed finan- cial sector, particularly as a haven for illicit-drug profits. In \177999 the GOB demonstrated a firm commitment to fighting the problem of money laun- dering, and implemented regulations to increase the effectiveness of Bra- zil's anti-money laundering regime. The Brazilian Central Bank created a 36'1

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 Title 3--The President special internal agency to trace money laundering, and Brazil joined the Fi- nancial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Egmont Group, two international bodies charged with improving anti-money laundering efforts. Brazilian authorities seized more cocaine in 1999 than in 1998, and can- nabis seizures increased by six-fold. As in past years, Brazilian authorities identified no opium or coca production in \177999. The GOB acted vigorously against cannaNs production in the country's northeast, eradicating over three times as many hectares as in \177998. Burma Burma is the world's second largest source of illicit opium and heroin, exceeded only by Afghanistan, and currently accounts for approximately 80 percent of the total production of Southeast Asian opium. Largely due to severe drought conditions in poppy growing areas, production and cultiva- tion continued to decline significantly in \177999 for the third year in a row. In \177999 there were an estimated 89,500 hectares under opium poppy cul- tivation, down al percent from \177998. This hectarage yielded a maximum of \177,090 metric tons of opium gum, a8 percent lower than in \177998 and less than half the average production during the last decade. The Government of Burma (GOB) maintained most of its opium crop-eradication efforts and expanded the program to an additional 9,800 acres. Seizures of methamphetamine in \177999 exceeded 1998's record figures, although opium and heroin seizures were well below \177998 levels. Burma made its first airport seizures of illicit drugs in \177999. While there were cases of drug interdiction and arrests of members of some cease-fire groups for drug trafficking, the GOB has been unwilling or unable to take on the most powerful groups directly. Cease-fire agreements with insurgent ethnic groups dependent on the drug trade implicitly tolerate continued involve- ment in drug trafficking for varying periods of time. The ethnic armies, such as the United Wa State Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, remain armed and heavily involved in the heroin trade. The GOB expressed support for eradication efforts, crop substitution, and development assistance, but allocated few resources to such projects. GOB policy is to force the leaders in the ethnic areas to spend their own reve- nues, including from the drug trade, on social and physical infrastructure. The approach limits the GOB's ability to continue or expand its counter- drug efforts. Burma's \177993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law con- forms to the \177988 UN Drug Convention and contains useful legal tools for addressing money laundering, seizing drug-related assets, and prosecuting drug conspiracy cases. GOB officials, claiming they lack sufficient exper- rise, have been slow to implement the law, targeting few, if any, major traf- tickers and their drug-related assets. Money laundering in Burma and the return of drug profits laundered elsewhere are thought to be significant fac- tors in the overall Burmese economy, although the extent of this problem is impossible to measure accurately. The cease-fire agreements condone money laundering, as the government encouraged these groups to invest in "legitimate" businesses as an alternative to trafficking, thus extending to them the opportunity to sanitize past illicit proceeds with investments in hotels and construction companies, for example. 362

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 Other Presidential Documents The Burmese continued to refuse to render drug lord Chang Qifu on grounds that he had not violated his 1996 surrender agreement. The 1988 UN Drug convention obligates parties, including Burma, to prosecute such traffickers. The GOB's counter-drug efforts in 1999 showed progress in a number of areas: methamphetamine and ephedrine seizures increased; crop eradi- cation continued with modest expansion; anti-drug forces conducted more vigorous law-enforcement efforts; and members of some cease-fire groups were arrested for drug trafficking. Such efforts must be stepped up, how- ever, if they are to have a significant impact on the overall trafficking prob- lem. On balance, the USG remains concerned that Burma's efforts are not commensurate with the extent of the drug problem within its borders. Large-scale poppy cultivation and opium production continue, decreasing in the last few years largely because of severe drought conditions rather than eradication programs. The GOB's effective toleration of money laun- dering, its unwillingness to implement its drug laws, and its failure to render notorious traffickers under indictment in the United States all con- tinue to be serious concerns. Cambodia In view of Cambodia's geographic location and general state of lawless- ness, it is likely that drugs transited Cambodia en route the West, including the United States. For that reason, Cambodia was designated a major drug transit country in 1999. Political turmoil in Cambodia has effectively pre- cluded a fully credible anti-drug effort for the last two years. Although Cambodia has taken some positive steps to improve drug enforcement in 1999, these steps were insufficient to qualify for full certification. Steps forward included increased emphasis on eradication of illicit mari- juana plantations. Prime Minister Hun Sen and others have publicly threat- ened provincial governors with dismissal if they tolerate marijuana cultiva- tion. At least one large (160 hectare, or about 400 acre) plantation was eradicated as the deadline for certification approached. There were also several first-time drug seizures at Phnom Penh's international airport. The President and the Chief Prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court were removed for corruption; other judges are under investigation. A police commander, suspected of dealing in illicit drugs was removed, and Cam- bodia reorganized a supervisory coordinating agency called the National Drug Policy Board, replacing officials generally viewed as ineffective with more respected officials. High level government officials made statements emphasizing their opposition to synthetic drug production in Cambodia, and pressed efforts to confiscate unauthorized weapons, both positive steps in countering a drift towards lawlessness. Cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was excellent. Corruption remains an endemic problem in Cambodia, however, and this problem adversely affects drug law enforcement. Poorly paid and ill-trained police and judicial officials have frequently looked the other way in drug and other criminal cases. Cambodia remains a refuge for criminal elements because enforcement is ineffective and corrupt officials can be paid to re- lease those that may be apprehended. The combination of incompetence and venality, even at high levels in government and the police, pose an on- going challenge to improved drug law enforcement. In short, there has been 363

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 Title 3--The President no fundamental institutional reform to meet the law enforcement challenge Cambodia faces from drug traffickers and other lawless elements. Thus, de- spite some improvements, Cambodia still failed to meet the legal standards for full certification. A vital national interests certification is necessary this year in order to protect U.S. vital national interests in Cambodia, including promoting de- mocracy in Cambodia and stability in the region. Democracy in Cambodia is not yet firmly established. The democratically-elected coalition govern- ment, which came to power in Cambodia last year continues to face enor- mous challenges on all fronts, including the formation of an international tribunal to try former leaders of the Khmer Rouge. Cambodia also remains vulnerable to drug trafficking and other crime upsurges. Should counter- drug sanctions be imposed, it would not be possible for the United States to provide strategically-placed assistance to respond to potential crises or to strengthen Cambodia's economic and institutional bases for a democratic system. On balance, the risks to U.S. interests in promoting democracy and stability in the region if counter-drug sanctions were imposed would out- weigh the risks posed by Cambodia's failure to fully implement effective drug control. Colombia Colombia remains the world's largest cocaine producer: over three-quar- ters of the world's cocaine hydrochloride is processed in Colombia. Still, Colombia met the certification criteria in 1999 due to important strides made in combating illicit drugs and its full cooperation with USG counter- drug efforts. The Pastrana administration has demonstrated a clear commit- ment to combating the illegal drug industry in Colombia. That commitment led to a number of very concrete achievements in 1999. In September, the Government of Colombia (GOC) unveiled its "Plan Co- lombia," a comprehensive strategy to address the many interrelated chal- lenges facing the country. The USG supports the work of the GOC in for- mulating and beginning to implement this comprehensive strategy. Impor- tantly, both "Plan Colombia" and the Pastrana administration's National Drug Control Strategy couple alternative development with aerial eradi- cation of illicit crops. Colombian authorities continued to cooperate with the USG on a variety of specific projects. In October, Operation Millennium, a coordinated oper- ation among Colombian, Mexican and U.S. law enforcement agencies, re- sulted in the arrest of more than 30 suspects. The Colombian National Police (CNP) continued its outstanding counter- drug tradition. The CNP received increased support from the Colombian armed services and is poised to begin joint operations in southern Colom- bia with the army's first special counter-drug battalion. Such joint oper- ations are vital for the future of the program due to the threat to counter- drug operations from heavily armed traffickers and other illegal armed groups that are involved in many aspects of drug trafficking. The GOC made particularly strong advances in combating maritime traf- ficking. A port security program is now operating in all of the nation's major ports, and in the past year resulted in the seizure of \1776 metric tons of cocaine. In September, a standing interdiction operations plan was signed to augment an existing maritime agreement, leading to three U.S.- 364

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 Other Presidential Documents Colombian combined maritime interdiction patrols. Also in September, U.S. and Colombian authorities reached an accommodation concerning the volume of evidence required by Colombian prosecutors and other evi- dentiary concerns. GOC efforts have also focused on drug trafficking by air. The percentage of successful Colombian Air Force (FAC) interdiction attempts has in- creased from 25 percent in 1997 to nearly 40 percent in 1999. At the same time, the number of suspicious aircraft which radar has detected flying to or from Colombia has fallen from 23\177 in \177997 to fewer than \17700 in \177999. The CNP's civil aviation registration program inspected 343 aircraft in 1999, seizing 50 of these for violations. The aerial eradication program succeeded in treating more than 50,000 hectares of illicit crops in \177999, although totals were less than last year's record level. The CNP also had a strong year in terms of seizures, totaling 30 metric tons of cocaine hydrochloride and base, \17740 metric tons of coca leaf, and 644 kilos of heroin, morphine and opium. The level of cooperation between the Colombian military and police con- tinued to improve in \177999. Information sharing advanced to a higher level with the inclusion of both military and CNP personnel at the }oint Intel- ligence Center (}IC), while interdiction and eradication efforts both received a boost with the creation of the new counter-drug battalion. Created to work hand-in-glove with the CNP's anti-drug units, the battalion will pro- vide the police with needed support as operations move into high-risk, coca-rich areas such as Putumayo Department. In November, the GOC extradited alleged heroin trafficker }aime Orlando Lara Nausa, the first Colombian citizen extradited to the United States in nine years. Behind the very public leadership of President Pastrana, Colom- bian officials proceeded despite drug traffickers' attempted legal roadblocks and bombings possibly linked to the extraditions. This commitment dem- onstrated the GOC's willingness to send drug traffickers to justice in the United States regardless of citizenship. GOC officials also enacted important institutional changes in \177999. The National }udicial Police Council adopted a unified training curriculum and made it mandatory for all Colombian investigators after }anuary 2000. For the first time, all Colombian law enforcement investigators will receive the same training. Overall, Colombian counter-drug efforts continued to improve in 1999, demonstrating the true commitment of the Pastrana administration to co- operate fully with the United States in combating the illegal traffic in drugs. Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a significant transit country for South Amer- ican drugs, mostly cocaine, moving to the United States. Drugs are trans- ported into the Dominican Republic by air, sea, and across the land border with Haiti. They are then moved onward by air and sea to Puerto Rico and mainland United States. During \177999, the Government of the Dominican Republic (GODR) contin- ued to cooperate fully with the USG on counter-drug goals and objectives. 365

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 Title 3--The President The GODR extradited nine Dominicans to the United States in 1999, and kept several other fugitives in custody awaiting decisions on extradition re- quests. The National Drug Council (CND) drafted a National Drug Strategy. A group of private attorneys energetically promoted the passage of a newly drafted anti-money laundering bill modeled on current Organization of American States (OAS) standards. The GODR began the process of devel- oping an anti-corruption bill. The draft strategy and both bills are sched- uled for submission to congress in 2000. A ministerial-level bilateral meeting with Haiti achieved historic border control accords, which were subsequently approved at the highest levels of the GODR. In 1999, the GODR activated a fourth border control unit, de- ployed its drug detection dog unit to the Haitian border, and took steps to double the size of the dog unit in 2000. Dominican forces participated in combined operations under the bilat- eral Maritime Counter-drug Interdiction Agreement. The GODR extended for one-year temporary overflight authority for USG anti-drug aircraft and vessels. In cooperation with the U.S. military, the Dominican Navy and Army engaged in joint counter-drug exercises. The National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD) worked closely with its counterpart, the DEA, on drug, fugitive, and special investigations, drug op- erations, and border interdiction during \177999. DNCD has begun to require its special unit personnel to take polygraphs, and has also initiated pre-em- ployment and periodic random drug testing for its employees. For the first time, the GODR authorized wiretaps for use in drug prosecu- tions. It also arrested and jailed on passport fraud charges the top money manager for the Coneo family, the dominant Colombian drug trafficking or- ganization operating on Hispaniola. We will continue to encourage the Dominican Republic to regularize its extradition process. GODR should also: act on a pending amendment to en- hance the bilateral maritime agreement; increase cocaine seizures, which amounted to less than half the amount seized in \177998; and strengthen its weak judicial system, which continues to hamper law enforcement efforts. Ecuador Ecuador continues to setwe as a major transit route for cocaine destined for the United States, and for precursor chemicals destined for drug proc- essing labs in Colombia and Peru. Despite suffering under the effects of the country's worst economic crisis in seventy years, the Government of Ecua- dor (GOE) pursued an active counter-drug agenda in \177999 to considerable effect, and cooperation between the GOE and the USG was excellent. The EcuadorJan National Police (ENP) seized a record \1770 metric tons of cocaine and coca base in 1999, more than doubling \177998's total of 3.9 met- ric tons. Heroin seizures also increased significantly, from 58 kilograms in \177998 to 8\177 kilograms in \177999. The ENP also seized a record amount of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and other precursor chemicals. Along with these tactical successes, the GOE implemented structural re- forms to their judicial system and law enforcement agencies that have the potential to enhance the country's law enforcement infrastructure. A uni- fied anti-drug division was established within the ENP, consolidating var- ious specialized interdiction units into a coherent organization for the first 366

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 Other Presidential Documents time. The customs service was privatized to maximize efficiency and bol- ster interdiction efforts. In November 1999, the Ecuadorian Congress passed a new criminal procedural code, intended to alter the country's criminal justice system from a secretive, inquisitorial to an open, accusatorial system similar to the U.S. model. In addition, the GOE published a five-year counter-drug strategy which clearly identifies the roles and responsibilities of relevant GOE agencies in the fight against international drug trafficking. The GOE also increased its commitment to regional interdiction efforts, most visibly in November 1999 when the GOE and the USG completed a 10-year agreement permitting U.S. regional counter-drug detection and monitoring missions to operate from an EcuadorJan air force base in Manta. The GOE also completed a }oint Information Coordination Center 0ICC) in Guayaquil, and plans to integrate this center with the national anti-drug di- vision headquarters. Guatemala In \177999, President Arzu continued to implement the peace accords that ended 36 years of internal conflict. Government of Guatemala (GOG) efforts are now focused on combating violent crime, organized crime and other do- mestic problems. The GOG fully cooperated with the United States in com- bating counter-drug trafficking in Guatemala and elsewhere in the region. Guatemala has taken steps to implement, at the operational level, the provi- sions of the \177988 UN Drug convention. However, legislative support for ratification of a full maritime counter-drug agreement and adoption of money laundering legislation has not yet been obtained. Guatemala's location, scarce law enforcement resources, and a weak judi- ciary and penal system permitted its continued use by traffickers as a trans- shipment and storage point for cocaine destined for the United States via Mexico. Along with increased use of motor vehicle and container ship- ments, there has been an increase in airdrops of illicit drugs over Guate- malan territory for consolidation and transshipment. With USG assistance, the Department of Anti-Narcotics Police (DOAN) has stepped up training to develop air interdiction and related capabilities. The expanding self- funded port security program and the trained DOAN agents have made im- pressive seizures in the past year. The consolidation of the National Civilian Police (PNC) continues on track with full integration of the DOAN. The USG-trained DOAN seized over \1770 metric tons of cocaine in 1999. This year the drug prosecutor as- sistance program maintained its 90 percent conviction rate, with some traf- fickers receiving sentences of up to 20 years. Somewhat disturbing, how- ever, were several cases in which judges released suspected drug traffickers on questionable grounds. The new drug prosecutor's field office opened this year in Quetzaltenango accounted for \1770 successful prosecutions in \177999. Guatemala is a party to the \177988 UN Drug Convention, and most GOG law enforcement activities are fully consistent with its goals and obiectives. However, some of the convention's provisions have not been codified into law and regulations, including provisions on extradition and money laun- dering. The GOG does not encourage or facilitate illicit production or dis- tribution of illicit drugs or controlled substances. 367

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 Title 3--The President In 1999 the GOG began imp]ementation of its nationa] drug po]icy, the anti-drug master plan and national strategy which incorporates both de- mand and supply reduction obiectives to be accomplished by specified ministries. The GOG provided additional funding to the plan's implemen- ters to attack the alarming increase in drug abuse documented last year. The GOG also took maior steps in implementing assets seizure and pre- cursor chemicals regulations. Haiti Haiti is a significant transshipment point for drugs, primarily cocaine, moving through the Caribbean from South America to the United States. The USG cannot certify Haiti as having fully cooperated with the United States on drug control, or as having taken adequate steps on its own, to meet the goals and obiectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention, to which Haiti is a party. However, U.S. vital national interests require that foreign assistance continue to be provided to Haiti. The USG recognizes that because Haiti had no Parliament during \177999, no legislation could be enacted or international agreements ratified. How- ever, Haiti failed to make sufficient progress on many anti-drug obiectives that did not require parliamentary action, but only implementation by the Government of Haiti (GOH). The GOH failed to: draft or update any pend- ing anti-money laundering or anti-corruption legislation; revise and imple- ment the draft national drug control strategy; create mechanisms to enforce standards of conduct and liabilities for GOH officials in accordance with the Declaration of Principles signed by Haiti at the \177997 Bridgetown Sum- mit; vigorously investigate and prosecute drug-related corruption involving GOH officials; resolve and report on the "450 kilo affair" in which police- men were allegedly involved in the \177998 theft of a large cocaine shipment; set up a special financial analysis unit to combat money laundering; and ioin the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). Haiti also failed to make sufficient progress in the area of law enforce- ment. Part of its overall lack of success in this area is due to Haiti's inad- equate iudicial system; the still limited capabilities of the five-year-old Hai- tian National Police (HNP); and the inexperience of the three-year-old po- lice anti-drug unit (t\177LTS). In addition, the HNP currently does not have the ability to intercept drug airdrops. The GOH failed to increase its drug seizure rate over \177998's performance; the amount of cocaine seized in 1999 was one-third that of \177998, although the estimated flow of cocaine in- creased by nearly one-quarter. The GOH also failed to double the size of the t\177LTS as planned, or to enforce interagency cooperation between the HNP and the customs and immigration services. This lack of cooperation continues to impede counter-drug efforts inside the customs control areas at the airport and other ports of entry in Haiti. GOH's international cooperation in \177999 was significant, including ongo- ing implementation of the \177997 U.S.-Haiti maritime counter-drug interdic- tion agreement even though parliamentary action to bring the agreement into force has not yet been accomplished. GOH cooperated with several international counter-drug operations, one of which resulted in the arrest and expulsion from Haiti of two key members of a maior international drug operation. Haitian authorities also continued to work with their counter- drug counterparts in the Dominican Republic to stem the flow of illicit drugs over the land border. 368

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 Other Presidential Documents U.S. vital national interests require that Haiti be certified. A cutoff of bi- lateral assistance mandated by denial of certification would threaten secu- rity and democratic stability in Haiti, both of which bear immediately and directly on U.S. ability to disrupt the flow of both illicit drugs and undocu- mented Haitian migrants into the United States. A cutoff would require ter- mination of important USG initiatives, including programs targeting elec- toral support, police development, economic growth, education, social sta- bility, hunger and environmental degradation. These programs attack the roots of Haitian poverty and hopelessness, chief catalysts for Haitian in- volvement in the drug trade and illegal immigration into the United States. The programs also address the underlying problems in the Haitian law en- forcement and iudicial system, especially endemic corruption and the lack of a strong professional tradition, both of which contribute to weak counter-drug performance. If critical U.S. aid is withdrawn, and U.S. sup- port for the electoral process and public security is curtailed, assistance to illicit traffickers of drugs and migrants will be an unintended consequence. The risks posed to U.S. vital national interests by a cutoff of bilateral as- sistance outweigh the risks posed by Haiti's failure to cooperate fully with the USG, or to take adequate steps on its own, to combat the illicit drugs. Accordingly, Haiti is granted a vital national interests certification. Hong Kong Although the USG continued to view Hong Kong as a major drug transit center in 1999 because of its location and developed infrastructure, Hong Kong's role as a major transit/staging area for the shipment of heroin and methamphetamine to the United States appears to have diminished over the last three years. In 1999 Hong Kong continued its exemplary efforts to stop illicit drugs from being trafficked across its border with China and through its port. Through October 1999, Hong Kong officials seized 205 kilograms of heroin (nearly the amount seized in all of 1998), 35.8 kilograms of cannabis, 16.7 kilograms of cocaine, and 9,811 kilograms of methamphetamine. In the same period, 7,620 individuals were arrested for drug-related offenses. Drug-detection capabilities were enhanced in several important areas: the number of drug-sniffing dogs at the border and airport increased from 124 to 133; and high-tech equipment was procured to detect illicit drugs in packages, facilitate the inspection of baggage and cargo, and use in clearing air and sea cargo. With respect to precursor chemicals, Hong Kong amended legislation to tighten control of the transshipment, removal, and storage of potassium permanganate and to require a license from the Commissioner of Customs and Excise before potassium permanganate can be imported, exported, or manufactured. Control of several additional chemicals was also tightened in 1999 in response to resolutions passed by the UN Commission on Nar- cotic Drugs. The legislature also began working to amend legislation to en- hance control of norephedrine. Hong Kong also introduced new legislation to strengthen the anti-money- laundering regime and laws affecting drug profits and organized crime. New reporting requirements for financial transactions went into effect, and sentences for money laundering have been lengthened. 369

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 Title 3--The President Hong Kong and U.S. law enforcement agencies continued to cooperate ef- fectively on investigations into the movement of illegal drugs and on money-laundering cases. The Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement received legislative approval in Hong Kong and will enter into force in early 2000. The Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with the United States and with Sri Lanka came into force. Hong Kong also concluded similar agree- ments with other countries and the European Union. In 1999 Hong Kong continued to implement new initiatives to strengthen its already outstanding counter-drug efforts, and Hong Kong authorities at all levels continued their close cooperation with the United States and other countries to defeat drug trafficking. India India is the world's largest producer of licit opium. Located between Af- ghanistan and Burma, the two primary world sources of illicitly grown opium, India also is a transit point for heroin, generally destined for Eu- rope. Heroin is produced in and trafficked through India, but evidence to indicate that significant quantities of heroin from India reach the United States is scant. The Government of India (GOI) has a cooperative working relationship with DEA, and India is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Conven- tion. The GOI uncovered a trafficking network operating in several Indian cit- ies to ship locally-produced heroin to Sri Lanka, and seized a related her- oin lab and over \17700 kg of heroin. The GOI also broke up and arrested an international trafficking operation routing Afghan heroin to North America and seized 77 kilograms of heroin. Overall, heroin seizures rose 7 percent. More importantly, two well-organized trafficking operations were dis- rupted. The GOI tightened controls on the precursor ephedrine hydrochloride by listing it as a controlled substance under its Narcotic Drugs and Psycho- tropic Substance Act. The GOI traced 9 tons of acetic anhydride intended for Afghanistan and had it seized in Dubai. The GOI enacted money-laun- dering legislation at the end of \177999. The GOI annually takes forceful steps to prevent illicit cultivation and production. The GOI appears to have had genuine success in reducing il- licit poppy cultivation, which in \177999 was just a fraction of what it was five years ago. India met formally with Pakistan in \177999 to discuss drug matters and is committed to continuing the process and to developing prac- tical results, whichhave been limited to date. In 1999 India also met with Burmese officials to discuss cross-border counter-drug issues. Production and stockpile of licit opium in India has clearly not exceeded licit demand. On the contrary, India's stockpile has been barely adequate for some time. The GOI did not make as much progress as hoped for this year in rebuilding its depleted buffer stock of licit opium. With excellent weather, the harvest should have been \177300 metric tons, but at least in part due to some diversion from licit production, the harvest was only 97\177 tons, too small to rebuild stocks to levels recommended by the International Nar- cotics Control Board (INCB). The GOI did boost opium production from 260 to 97\177 metric tons, sufficient to satisfy international demand for licit opium, even if carry-over stocks remain inadequate. 37O

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 Other Presidential Documents India is the only licit opium producing country with a notable diversion problem. However, the exact extent of this diversion is unclear. India has had an elaborate and expensive-to-maintain system in place to counter this threat of diversion for years, and India took important additional steps to avert diversion this year. For example, to discourage diversion of licit opium, the GOI raised prices paid to farmers, and added other incentives for higher yields. The GOI also threatened stiff penalties for those con- victed of diversion. Licit opium diversion controls expanded in 1998-1999 and have been continued in 1999-2000. Still, credible reports suggest that diversion may have increased during the \177998-\177999 growing season de- spite GOI actions. Although India is taking adequate steps to prevent sig- nificant diversion, there are additional measures India could take to im- prove its control regime. The GOI has not yet agreed to USG suggestions to undertake a comprehensive joint licit opium yield survey, which would provide a firmer scientific basis for the GOI to set Minimum Qualifying Yields (MQY) for farmers. Setting these yields correctly, by region, helps limit diversion. /amaica Jamaica is a major transit point for South American cocaine en route to the United States as well as the largest Caribbean producer and exporter of marijuana. During \177999, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) made progress towards meeting the goals and objectives of the \177988 UN Drug Convention. At regional meetings, GOJ officials actively supported counter-drug initia- tives. Bilateral counter-drug cooperation is good and improving. In the area of maritime law enforcement, Jamaican forces continued to participate in combined operations under the U.S.-Jamaica bilateral maritime agreement. In March 1999, Jamaica took an important step in its effort to create an anti-money laundering regime which meets international standards by amending the \177996 Money Laundering Act to require the reporting of sus- picious transactions. However, further amendment to the law is required to address the critical issue of money laundering in relation to the proceeds of other serious crime. The GOJ has stated that, as a first step, it has drafted amendments to the money-laundering act that will add fraud and firearms offenses as predicate offenses. The GOJ is in the process of establishing a financial analysis unit to identify money-laundering activities, but has not yet provided staff for the unit. Jamaica's current asset forfeiture regime does not permit the GOJ to take full advantage of the forfeiture mechanism to augment the resources of its anti-drug agencies and deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crime. Current law requires the conviction of a criminal drug defendant prior to commencing a forfeiture action. In \177999, Par- liament passed legislation permitting the GOJ to enter into agreements with other governments to share assets confiscated from drug traffickers and other criminals. The GOJ enacted a Precursor Chemicals Act and has budg- eted for implementation of chemical controls. In late \177999, the GOJ intro- duced a bill in Parliament establishing drug courts; the bill passed both houses and now awaits the Governor General's signature. Transparency International and other organizations have reported that corruption is viewed as a grave problem in Jamaica--drug trafficking adds to the problem. The GOJ's anti-corruption legislation, introduced in Par- liament in \177998, passed the House and Senate in different versions; a com- promise bill is currently being crafted by a joint select committee of Par- 37\177

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 Title 3--The President liament. The GOJ's position is that passage of the Anti-Corruption Act must occur before it can ratify the Inter-American Convention Against Corrup- tion, which Jamaica signed in March 1996. The GOJ has a policy of inves- tigating credible reports of police corruption, including those related to drugs, but more needs to be done to root out corruption in the public sec- tor. The GOJ extradited four people to the United States in 1999; there are sixteen active pending extradition requests. In 1999, the GOJ developed, with USG assistance, a special fugitive apprehension team to target and ap- prehend fugitives from justice. The team has thus far located three fugitives and provided information for several U.S.-based investigations. The GOJ ar- rested 6,718 drug offenders in 1999. Nevertheless, no major drug traffickers were arrested or convicted during 1999, and they continue to operate with apparent impunity. The GOJ agreed in 1998 to develop a vetted special in- vestigative unit to target drug kingpins, but the unit is not yet in existence. While the GOJ has stated its intention to enact wiretap legislation, the pro- posal for such legislation is still under discussion in the Cabinet. The GOJ exceeded the marijuana eradication goal of 800 hectares set out in the Fiscal Year 1998 Letter of Agreement (LOA) with the USG. In addi- tion, the GOJ agreed in the LOA to pay a share of the marijuana eradication teams' salaries, currently funded by the USG, beginning in June 2000. While the GOJ made some progress in implementing the recommendations contained in a 1997 assessment, security at Jamaica's ports remains a con- cern. The GOJ needs to take steps to improve security at its ports, including implementation of the remaining recommendations from the 1997 assess- ment. Additionally, the GOJ should consider providing the means to admit evidence obtained by ion scan technology in Jamaican courts. The GOJ has in place a national drug control strategy that covers both supply and de- mand reduction; the GOJ should add to its strategy specific goals and objec- tives and measures of effectiveness. Jamaica is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. Laos Laos is a major drug-producing country; it remains the world's third larg- est producer of illicit opium, behind Afghanistan and Burma. Although opium cultivation fell 16 percent in 1999, the USG estimates Laos' opium production for that year at 140 metric tons, identical to the 1998 estimate. Somewhat improved weather conditions increased estimated average yields, allowing total production to remain unchanged. Crop substitution project areas funded by the USG continued to show no commercial opium cultivation, only low level production sufficient for some local addict con- sumption. Laos cooperates with the USG and the UNDCP on crop control/substi- tution projects designed to eliminate opium cultivation. The administration of Phongsali Province is providing enthusiastic support for the new USG- funded project there. The province administration assigned support per- sonnel, held a meeting of district directors from throughout the province, and is expressing full support for the project to village headmen. In May 1999, the Government of Laos (GOL) agreed to a joint goal with the UNDCP to eliminate opium cultivation in Laos within six years; efforts to raise the estimated $80 million needed to reach this goal are underway. The high- land farmers who grow opium now have no other viable option. Even if 372

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