Page:Title 3 CFR 2006 Compilation.djvu/319

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Title 3--The President The Government of Canada (GOC) continued to effectively curb the diver- sion of precursor chemicals that are required for methamphetamine pro- duction to feed U.S. illegal markets. The GOC also continued to seize lab- oratories that produce MDMA/Ecstasy consumed in both Canada and the United States. The principal drug concern was the continuing large-scale production of high-potency, indoor-grown marijuana for export to the United States. The United States enjoyed excellent cooperation with Can- ada across a broad range of law enforcement issues and shared goals. The Government of Ecuador (GOE) has made considerable progress in com- bating narcotics trafficking destined for the United States. However, a dra- matic increase in the quantity of cocaine transported toward the United States using Ecuadorjan-flagged ships and indications of increased illegal armed group activity along Ecuador's northern border with Colombia re- main areas of serious concern. Effective cooperation and streamlined mari- time operational procedures between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Ecua- dorjan Navy are resulting in an increase in the amount of cocaine inter- dicted. Building on that cooperation, we will work with Ecuador to change the circumstances that make Ecuadorjan-flagged vessels and EcuadorJan citizenship so attractive to drug traffickers. As a result of the elections in Haiti, the new government now has a clear mandate from the Haitian people to bring crime, violent gangs, and drug trafficking under control. We urge the new government to strengthen and accelerate ongoing efforts to rebuild and reform Haiti's law enforcement and judicial institutions and to consult closely with the United States to define achievable and verifiable steps to accomplish these goals. While the Government of Nigeria continues to take substantive steps to curb official corruption, it remains a major challenge in Nigeria. We strong- ly encourage the government to continue to adequately fund and support the anti-corruption bodies that have been established there in order to fully address Nigeria's ongoing fight against corruption. We urge Nigeria to con- tinue improving the effectiveness of the National Drug and Law Enforce- ment Agency and, in particular, improve enforcement operations at major airports/seaports and against major drug kingpins, to include targeting their financial assets. We look forward to working with Nigerian officials to in- crease extraditions and assisting in drug enforcement operations. Although there have not been any drug seizures or apprehensions of drug traffickers with a connection to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2004, we remain concerned about DPRK state-directed crimi- nal activity. The United States Government has made clear to the DPRK that an end to all involvement in criminal activity is a necessary pre- requisite to entry into the international community. Under provisions of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA), which modified section 489(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, and section 490(a) of the FAA, a report will be made to the Con- gress on March l, 2007, naming the five countries that legally exported the largest amount of methamphetamine precursor chemicals, as well as the top five methamphetamine precursor importers with the highest rate of di- version for illicit drug production. This report will be sent concurrently with the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which will also contain additional reporting on methamphetamine precursor chemicals pursuant to the CMEA. 306