Pubdate: Sun, 09 Sep 2001
Source: Inquirer (PA)
Copyright: 2001 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc
Contact:  http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/home/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/340
Author: Rick Vecchio
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?172 (Peruvian Aircraft Shooting)

PERU SEEKS TO RESTART DRUG-INTERDICTION FLIGHTS

LIMA, Peru (AP) --  Peru plans to urge Secretary of State Colin L. Powell 
to resume the U.S.-backed antidrug flights suspended after the Peruvian air 
force mistakenly shot down an American missionary plane this spring.

Powell is scheduled to visit Lima on Monday and Tuesday for an assembly of 
the Organization of American States.

Foreign Minister Diego Garcia Sayan said Peruvian officials would ask for 
clarification of "the dates and conditions in which aerial 
drug-interdiction flights could restart."

The missionary plane was shot from the sky April 20 after it was initially 
identified as a possible drug flight by a CIA-operated surveillance plane 
and then fired on by a Peruvian military jet. A Baptist missionary, 
Veronica Bowers, and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity, were killed.

Results of a U.S.-Peruvian investigation released Aug. 2 found that an 
overloaded communications system, procedural errors, and translation 
problems between the English-speaking CIA-hired crew and Spanish-speaking 
air-force pilots had contributed to the tragedy.

When the report was issued, Maj. Gen. Jorge Kisic, operations chief of 
Peru's air force, said Peru's skies had been "inundated by narcotics 
traffickers" since the surveillance and interception flights were halted 
over Peru and Colombia.

However, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Rand Beers, who headed the 
American side of the investigative commission, said no evidence of 
increased trafficking had been seen.

Congress and the Bush administration are waiting for a follow-up report 
being prepared by Morris Busby, a former U.S. ambassador to Colombia, 
before deciding whether to resume the flights. The report is not expected 
for several weeks.

Colombian President Andres Pastrana, who is scheduled to meet Powell later 
Tuesday and Wednesday, also urged Washington to restart the interdiction 
program and reestablish intelligence sharing about suspected drug flights.
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