Dear Mr. Chairman:
Pursuant to section 1228(f)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, Public Law 110-181 (NDAA), I hereby provide notice that the effective date of section 1228 of the NDAA is delayed for a period of 90 days.
I certify that it is in the vital interest of the United States to continue to provide defense articles to the Government of Iraq for this additional period of 90 days in order to develop and sustain the military and security forces of Iraq. Additional time is needed to review the export and transfer program for Iraq and to implement necessary measures to ensure compliance with the registration, monitoring, and record-keeping requirements of section 1228. Halting the provision of defense articles to Iraq during this period of review and implementation would be contrary to the national security of the United States.
Sincerely,
GEORGE W. BUSH
NOTE: Identical letters were sent to Carl Levin, chairman, Senate Committee on Armed Services; Joseph R. Biden, Jr., chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; Christopher J. Dodd, chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Ike Skelton, chairman, House Committee on Armed Services; and Howard L. Berman, chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on July 28.
George W. Bush, Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Transfer of Defense Articles to Iraq Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/278371