Pubdate: Sun, 16 Apr 2000
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2000 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
Feedback: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/edit/letters/letterform.htm
Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Jason Rubadeau
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n473/a01.html

WHICH WAR ON DRUGS?

Regarding Sen. Paul Coverdell's (R-Ga.) April 10 op-ed column on Colombia: 
Why arm a government that Amnesty International has called "the most 
abusive in the Western Hemisphere," responsible for 3,500 to 10,000 
collateral (read: "innocent") casualties a year?

Why does Colombia have to be armed with the latest UH-60 helicopters? Most 
aviation experts state that for the counter-narcotics role, the upgraded 
UH-1 is perfectly acceptable and, at one-tenth the price of a new UH-60, a 
bargain.

Finally, if the goal of the war on drugs is to get Americans off illegal 
drugs, why did the senator vote against the companion bill allocating $1.3 
billion for drug treatment?

Jason Rubadeau, Calistoga, Calif.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D