State Dept. Narcotics Report

[tun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

DATE=4/4/94
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=U-S NARCOTICS REPORT (L)
BYLINE=DOUGLAS ROBERTS
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT

INTRO:   THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT MONDAY RELEASED ITS ANNUAL 
REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRADE;  AND ADDED NIGERIA TO A 
LIST OF COUNTRIES THAT ARE FAILING TO COOPERATE IN EFFORTS TO 
CURB THE PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING OF ILLICIT NARCOTICS.  
V-O-A'S DOUGLAS ROBERTS HAS DETAILS.

TEXT:    U-S OFFICIALS HAVE LONG BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE 
ACTIVITIES  OF NIGERIAN TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS THAT TRANSPORT 
COCAINE AND  HEROIN TO THE U-S AND EUROPEAN MARKETS.  IT IS A 
PROBLEM THAT HAS  BEEN GROWING, SAYS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE
ROBERT GELBARD, AND HAS NOW REACHED ENORMOUS PROPORTIONS.

AT A BRIEFING FOR REPORTERS HERE MONDAY, MR GELBARD SAID THIRTY 
FIVE  TO FORTY PERCENT OF ALL THE HEROIN THAT REACHES THE UNITED 
STATES IS  BROUGHT INTO THE COUNTRY BY NIGERIAN COURIERS.  AND HE
SAID  WASHINGTON BELIEVES THE TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS ARE 
OPERATING WITH THE PROTECTION OF NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

FOR THAT REASON, NIGERIA WAS ADDED TO A U-S LIST OF NATIONS THAT 
ARE NOT COOPERATING IN THE WAR ON DRUGS--JOINING BURMA, IRAN AND 
SYRIA. ALL FOUR ARE INELIGIBLE FOR U-S ECONOMIC OR MILITARY AID. 
AND WASHINGTON IS OBLIGED TO VOTE AGAINST WORLD BANK OR OTHER 
INTERNATIONAL LOANS FOR NATIONS ON THE LIST.

THE ANNUAL STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT SAYS BURMA IS LARGELY TO BLAME
FOR  A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN WORLDWIDE HEROIN PRODUCTION LAST 
YEAR.  THE  REPORT SAYS BURMA IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF HEROIN AND
OPIUM  WORLDWIDE, AND YET THE RANGOON GOVERNMENT HAS MADE NO 
SERIOUS OR SUSTAINED NARCOTICS CONTROL EFFORTS SINCE 1988.

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT 
IRANIAN  INVOLVEMENT IN THE DRUG TRADE IS DIFFICULT TO COME BY.  
BUT DESPITE  TOUGH ANTI-DRUGS RHETORIC FROM IRAN'S LEADERS, 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY GELBARD SEES LITTLE IF ANY SIGN THAT TEHRAN 
IS ACTING AGAINST THE TRAFFICKERS.

                     ///INSERT GELBARD ACTUALITY///

         THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT HAS CERTAINLY AT LEAST PERMITTED 
         THE USE OF  ITS TERRITORY AS A MAJOR POINT OF TRANSIT 
         FOR HEROIN PASSING THROUGH  FROM SOUTH ASIA TO EUROPE 
         AND THEN ON TO THE UNITED STATES.  WE HAVE SEEN THIS TO 
         BE AN INCREASINGLY SIGNIFICANT PHENOMENON OVER THE 
         COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR, AND HAVE NOT WITNESSED ANY 
         STEPS BY THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO CURTAIL THIS 
         HEROIN TRAFFICKING.

                           ///END ACTUALITY///

MR GELBARD SAID WASHINGTON HAS SEEN SOME EFFORTS TO CURB THE DRUG
TRADE BY THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT.  HE NOTED SYRIA'S ROLE IN LAST 
YEAR'S  CAMPAIGN TO ERADICATE THE OPIUM FIELDS IN LEBANON'S BEKAA
VALLEY,  STILL CONTROLLED BY DAMASCUS GOVERNMENT FORCES.  BUT MR 
GELBARD SAID  WASHINGTON REMAINS CONCERNED THAT SYRIAN GOVERNMENT
AND MILITARY OFFICIALS WHO PROTECT DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATIONS
GO UNPUNISHED.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT SAYS 1993 WAS A YEAR OF MIXED RESULTS
FOR THE WAR ON DRUGS.  IT NOTES THE KILLING OF COLOMBIAN DRUG 
LORD PABLO ESCOBAR AND THE VIRTUAL ELIMINATION OF HIS 
ORGANIZATION.  BUT A RIVAL  CARTEL REMAINS ACTIVE.  THE REPORT 
ALSO NOTES A SHARP DROP IN  PERUVIAN COCA PRODUCTION, BUT 
ATTRIBUTES IT LARGELY TO A FUNGUS THAT ATTACKS THE COCA PLANT.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS COCAINE REMAINS THE LARGEST NARCOTICS 
PROBLEM FOR U-S OFFICIALS, BUT THE REPORT ALSO SOUNDS A FRESH 
ALARM OVER THE RISE IN HEROIN PRODUCTION AND TRAFFICKING.

MR GELBARD SAID THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION IS NOW DEVELOPING A 
NEW STRATEGY TO DEAL SPECIFICALLY WITH HEROIN.  THE ANNUAL REPORT
SAYS HEROIN COULD BECOME IN THE NINETIES WHAT COCAINE WAS IN THE 
EIGHTIES, AND ADDS THAT THERE ARE INDICATIONS LATIN AMERICAN DRUG
CARTELS ARE POISED TO CASH IN ON WHAT IT TERMS A HEROIN 
EPIDEMIC.(SIGNED)

NEB/DBR/PT

04-Apr-94 5:38 PM EDT (2138 UTC)