For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 14, 2003
Presidential Letter
January 13, 2003
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
Pursuant to section 3204(f), title III, chapter 2 of the Emergency
Supplemental Act, 2000 (the "Act"), as enacted in the Military
Construction Appropriations Act, 2001, Public Law 106-246, I am
providing a report prepared by my Administration that provides "the
aggregate number, locations, activities, and lengths of assignment for
all temporary and permanent U.S. military personnel and U.S. individual
civilians retained as contractors involved in the antinarcotics
campaign in Colombia."
In so doing, I note and appreciate the continued strong bipartisan
support given to U.S. programs assisting Colombia in the Act and
elsewhere.
This report is classified because of force protection
considerations and the high level of terrorist threat in Colombia.
However, the aggregate numbers given below are unclassified.
The report indicates that as of November 13, 2002, the end of this
reporting period, there were 267 temporary and permanent U.S. military
personnel and 270 U.S. civilians retained as individual contractors in
Colombia involved in supporting Plan Colombia. This report further
indicates that during September, October, and November 2002, these
figures never exceeded the ceilings established in section 3204(b) of
the Act, as amended.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W.BUSH
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