Support aimed at bolstering Afghan security

President Bush issued a memorandum December 16 to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell authorizing the supply of $135 million in defense articles, defense services, and military education and training by the Department of Defense for Afghanistan.

Following is the text of the memorandum:

(begin text)

Subject: MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
December 16, 2003

Presidential Determination No. 2004-15

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

SUBJECT: Determination to Authorize Drawdown for Afghanistan

Consistent with the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, including section 202 and other relevant provisions of the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act (Public Law 107-327) and section 506 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, 22 U.S.C. 2318, I hereby direct the drawdown of up to $135 million of defense articles, defense services, and military education and training from the Department of Defense for the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan.

The Secretary of State is authorized and directed to report this determination to the Congress and to arrange for its publication in the Federal Register.

GEORGE W. BUSH

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)