Title 3--The President Although the GOt\177's actions in 200% particularly in cooperation with China and Thailand, demonstrated a new commitment to effective counter- narcotics measures; the GOB has failed to enforce its narcotics laws, to eradicate systematically all forms of illicit drugs, including methamphetamines, and to address meaningfully the growing problem of drug abuse and HIV/AIDS. The GOB must aggressively pursue drug traffickers, including the most prominent trafficking groups and organizations, most particularly the United Wa State Army. The GOB should continue and expand its coopera- tion with other countries in the region, particularly those most seriously af- fected by drugs trafficked from Burma. Although t\177urma's counternarcotics record in 2001 is noticeably improved over that of prior years, its efforts need to be sustained, expanded, and intensified over the next year. STATEMENT OF EXPLANATION Haiti Haiti has failed demonstrably during the last \1772 months to make substantial efforts to adhere to its obligations under international counternarcotics agreements and to take the counternarcotics measures set forth in section 489(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 196% as amended. However, it is in the vital national interests of the United States to continue to provide assistance to the Government of Haiti (GOH) under the Kenneth M. Ludden, Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Act, 2002 (P.L. 107-115). Haiti remains a significant transshipment point for drugs, primarily cocaine, moving through the Caribbean from South Amer- ica to the United States. Although tactical cooperation by the GOH modestly improved, Haiti's over- all counterdrug commitment remined weak, in part due to political insta- bility and low levels of assistance. Such instability coupled with economic degradation has led to an increase in criminal and political violence and compromised internal security. Aristide has attempted to shore up his per- sonal and political security by politicizing the police. Continued politicization of the Haitian National Police, in contravention to one of President Aristide's commitments to the United States Government, bodes ill for an effective counternarcotics effort. Amid political and economic instability and in spite of limited resources, the GOH made some efforts to cooperate with counternarcotics initiatives. Due largely to the efforts of the Haitian Minister of }ustice, the GOH made efforts to curb corruption in the iudiciary, ioined the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), and formed a Financial Intelligence Unit to combat money laundering. The GOH also, with the assistance of U.S. law enforcement, increased the amount of cocaine seized in 2001 over that seized in 2000. The GOH honored all United States Government requests for expulsion and extradition in 200\177 by expelling two non-Haitian drug traffickers. The GOH cooperated with U.S. and DominicJan Republic law enforcement by participating in a two-week counternarcotics operation and maintaining subsequent contact with U.S. and Dominican anti-drug units. Finally, the GOH honored the terms of a Bilateral Maritime Counter- narcotics Interdiction Agreement pending formal official acceptance by the GOH since 1997. 282
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