For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 22, 2003

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate

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."

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 March 13, 2003, the end of this reporting period, there were 347 temporary and permanent U.S. military personnel and 324 U.S. civilians retained as individual contractors in Colombia involved in supporting Plan Colombia. This report further indicates that during January, February, and March 2003, these figures never exceeded the ceilings established in section 3204(b) of the Act, as amended.

Sincerely,

GEORGE W. BUSH

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