US certification for drug-producing

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Subject: US certification for drug-producing countries by March 1 

US certification for drug-producing countries by March 1 

WASHINGTON (NNI): The Clinton Administration will notify Congress by March
1 which "major" drug-producing and drug-transit countries should be
certified as cooperating full with the United States and international
anti-drug efforts. 

President Bill Clinton submitted to Congress on December 4 the list of 28
countries for consideration, which also includes Pakistan. The other
countries are: Afghanistan, Aruba, the Bahamas, Belize, Boliva, Brazil,
Burma, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala,
Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Paraguay,
Peru, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, and Vietnam. 

Non-certification requires the US to deny the country most forms of
non-emergency aid, and to vote against proposed loans by multilateral
development banks. 

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (FAA), requires the US
President every year to submit to Congress a list of those countries he has
determined to be major illict drug-producing and/or drug-transit countries. 

The US President is required under the FAA to review anti-narcotics efforts
undertaken by those countries on the "Majors" list in order to determine
and transmit by March 1, 1999. The President may select from the following
certification options for each of the countries on the "Majors" list: full
certification, denial of certification or a "vital national interests"
certification. 

If a country has not met the standards for full certification, the
President may nevertheless certify the country by determining that the US
vital national interests require that assistance by provided/not withheld
and that the US not vote against multilateral development bank assistance
for the country. When a country receives a "vital national interests"
certification, assistance is provided in the same manner as if had been
given full certification. 

Denial of certification requires the US to deny sales or financing under
the Arms Export Control Act; deny non-food assistance under Public Law 480;
deny financing by the Export-Import Bank and withhold most assistance under
the FAA with the exception of specified humanitarian and counternorcotics
assistance. 

(Source: News Network International).