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U-S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS ABROAD
- Subject: U-S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS ABROAD
- From: moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 21:24:00
Please redistribute the following file and the previous file.
Thank you.
With Love,
Julien Moe
-----------------
Source:VOA
DATE=2/6/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-38903
TITLE=U-S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS ABROAD
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: U-S EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE PRODUCTION OF DRUGS IN OTHER
COUNTRIES, PRIMARILY IN LATIN AMERCA, WERE DISCUSSED AT A
CONFERENCE HELD TODAY (FRIDAY) IN WASHINGTON. V-O-A'S
CORRESPONDENT ED WARNER REPORTS THE SHARP DEBATE OVER THE
CERTIFICATION PROCESS USED BY THE UNITED STATES TO PUT PRESSURE
ON DRUG PRODUCING NATIONS.
TEXT: WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE ENORMOUS TRAFFIC IN ILLICIT
DRUGS? CONSUMERS, PRODUCERS OR PERHAPS SOME OF THE POLICIES
INTENDED TO REDUCE THE TRAFFIC?
THESE QUESTIONS WERE DISCUSSED AT A RECENT CONFERENCE HELD BY
"DRUG STRATEGIES" AND "THE ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION
(UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)." THEIR FOCUS WAS THE
CERTIFICATION PROCESS, WHICH SUSPENDS U-S AID AND TO SOME EXTENT
MULTILATERAL ASSISTANCE TO ANY NATION THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED TO
BE COOPERATING WITH THE CRACKDOWN ON DRUGS.
BUT DECERTIFICATION HAS LED TO INCREASING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND SOME LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES. CRITICS CONTEND
THE PROCESS IS SELECTIVELY CARRIED OUT AND IS DAMAGING TO THE
BROADER AIMS OF U-S FOREIGN POLICY.
MATHEA FALCO, PRESIDENT OF DRUG STRATEGIES, POSED THE QUESTIONS
FACING THE CONFERENCE:
// FALCO ACT //
HAS THIS PROCESS WORKED? WHAT HAS THE IMPACT OF IT BEEN?
ARE THERE MORE EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES? HOW CAN
WE MOVE THIS BEYOND AN ANNUAL KIND OF FINGER-POINTING
MATCH, WHICH IS WHAT IT OFTEN BECOMES RIGHT UP AT THE
CRUNCH, INTO SOMETHING WITH A MUCH BROADER PERSPECTIVE
THAT CAN REALLY BRING BENEFITS TO ALL COUNTRIES?
// END ACT //
GUSTAVO GONZALES BAEZ, MEXICO'S MINISTER FOR NARCOTICS AFFAIRS,
COMPLAINED THAT THE U-S CERTIFICATION PROCESS DISREGARDS OTHER
NATIONS' CONCERNS:
// BAEZ ACT //
SUCH UNILATERAL CERTIFICATION TENDS TO UNDERMINE TRUST
AND THE BASIS FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO ERADICATE
DRUG TRAFFICKING. WE THINK THAT THE STRUGGLE AGAINST
ILLEGAL DRUGS AND DRUG-RELATED OFFENSES MUST BE BASED ON
THE PRINCIPLE OF SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AND MUST TAKE A
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT INCLUDES ALL ASPECTS OF THE
PROBLEM.
// END ACT //
BUT JOHN MICA, A REPUBLICAN MEMBER OF THE U-S HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, SAID MEXICO SHOULD BE DECERTIFIED BECAUSE OF ITS
LACK OF COOPERATION IN STOPPING THE TRAFFIC IN DRUGS THAT IS SO
DEVASTATING TO THE UNITED STATES:
// MICA ACT //
I CAN TELL YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE DRUG POLICY OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE, THE THINGS THAT WE REQUESTED OF MEXICO FOR
COMPLIANCE, THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE DONE AND NEVER
ACTUALLY TOOK ANY POSITIVE STEPS UNTIL DECERTIFICATION
WAS AT THEIR DOORSTEP. SO THIS IS OUR HAMMER. IT IS OUR
LAW, AND IT IS PROTECTING OUR INTERESTS.
// END ACT //
CONGRESSMAN MICA SAID THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS HAS FORCED OTHER
LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES TO COOPERATE IN THE ANTI-DRUG EFFORT. IF
ANYTHING, HE ADDED, THE LAW, SHOULD BE TOUGHER.
MR. BAEZ RESPONDED THAT THE UNITED STATES IS NO LESS AN OFFENDER
THAN MEXICO:
// BAEZ ACT //
IF MEXICO WERE TO RESORT TO THE SELF-INDULGENT PRACTICE
OF CRITICIZING OUR NEIGHBOR, TO VENT OUR OWN FRUSTRATION
FOR FAILING TO RESOLVE DRUG TRAFFICKING PROBLEMS WITHIN
OUR BORDERS, WE COULD TRUTHFULLY ASSERT THAT THE UNITED
STATES IS THE WORLD'S MAJOR CONSUMER OF ILLICIT DRUGS,
AND NINETY PER CENT OF THE WEAPONS THAT WE SEIZE FROM
THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MEXICO ARE CROSSING OUR
COMMON BORDER FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH.
// END ACT //
BOB CHARLES, CHIEF COUNSEL OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY, SAID DECERTIFICATION HAS BEEN
UNEVENLY APPLIED AND IS UNFAIR IN THE CASE OF COLOMBIA:
// CHARLES ACT //
I THINK THERE IS SUCH A THING AS THE BAD APPLICATION OF
A GOOD LAW. IN SOME RESPECTS, WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE IS
THAT THE LAW HAS BEEN APPLIED WITH POLITICAL AND INTER-
PERSONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING DECISIONS THAT ULTIMATELY
SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE OBJECTIVE.
// END ACT //
MR. CHARLES SAID ONE ASPECT OF THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS TENDS TO
BE OVERLOOKED. MORE U-S FUNDS SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO COUNTRIES
COMBATTING THE DRUG TRAFFIC.
A PAPER DISTRIBUTED BY THE CONFERENCE SPONSORS SUGGESTS THERE ARE
LIMITS TO EVEN AN EXEMPLARY PROGRAM OF INTERDICTION. DESPITE U-S
AND OTHER NATIONS' EFFORTS, THERE HAS BEEN NO APPARENT REDUCTION
IN THE SUPPLY OF DRUGS. IN FACT, WORLDWIDE PRODUCTION OF OPIUM
AND COCA HAS NEARLY DOUBLED IN THE PAST DECADE. (SIGNED)
NEB/PT06-F eb-98 7:18 PM EST (0018 UTC)