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USIS Washington 
File

30 September 1998

TEXT: CLINTON ON COUNTER-DRUG ASSISTANCE TO AMERICAS

(President issues determination on aid)  (440)



WASHINGTON -- The following is the text of a September 30 White House
release concerning President Clinton's order on counter-narcotics
assistance to the Americas.


(begin text)



THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

September 30, 1998



Presidential Determination

No. 98-41



MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION



SUBJECT: Drawdrawn Under Section 506(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance
Act to Provide Counternarcotics Assistance to Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica,
Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Countries of the Eastern
Caribbean


Pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 506(a)(2) of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2318(a)(2) (the
"Act"), I hereby determine that it is in the national interest of the
United States to draw down articles and services from the inventory
and resources of the Department of Defense, military education and
training from the Department of Defense, and articles and services
from the inventory and resources of the Departments of Justice, State,
Transportation, and the Treasury for the purpose of providing
international narcotics assistance to Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico,
Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago; and to Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados,
Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and
the Grenadines (hereinafter, "the Eastern Caribbean countries").


Therefore, I direct the drawdown of up to $75 million of articles and
services from the inventory and resources of the Departments of
Defense, Transportation, Justice, State, and the Treasury, and
military education and training from the Department of Defense, for
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Eastern
Caribbean countries for the purposes and under the authorities of
chapter 8 of part I of the Act.


As a matter of policy and consistent with past practice, the
Administration will seek to ensure that the assistance furnished under
this drawdown is not provided to any unit of any foreign country's
security forces if that unit is credibly alleged to have committed
gross violations of human rights unless the government of such country
is taking effective measures to bring the responsible members of that
unit to justice.


The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to report this
determination to the Congress immediately and to arrange for its
publication in the Federal Register.


WILLIAM J. CLINTON



(end text)