Letter to President George W. Bush

January 9, 2004

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write to you out of a concern which was raised during our recent trip to the Iraq-Afghanistan region.

As you may know, at this time of year, many Muslims prepare for Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. This journey, which is one of the pillars of Islam, typically involves millions of participants from all over the globe traveling to western Saudi Arabia. Last year, over two million people participated in the week-long event, beginning this year at the end of January.

During our recent trip, one of the concerns cited by military commanders was the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage. They have indicated that there will be thousands of individuals crossing borders all over the region. We fear this may provide a dangerous opportunity for illicit border crossings and possible terrorist activities.

With these concerns in mind, we would like to ask what plans the United States and the coalition have made to ensure the Hajj pilgrimage does not cause a security risk to either individuals or coalition soldiers. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Jack Reed Hillary
United States Senator

Rodham Clinton
United States Senator