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U-S ANTI-DRUG EFFORTS ABROAD



Please redistribute the following file and the previous file.

Thank you.

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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)