Pubdate: Fri, 07 Sep 2001
Source: St. Petersburg Times (FL)
Page: 10A, The World
Copyright: 2001 St. Petersburg Times
Contact:  http://www.sptimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/419
Author: Associated Press

RETHINK DRUG WAR, COLOMBIAN LEADER URGES

Andres Pastrana Will Meet The U.S. Secretary of State Next Week In Bogota

BOGOTA, Colombia - President Andres Pastrana, one of Washington's closest 
allies in the global war on drugs, called Thursday for a review of that 
struggle, saying it has produced few victories.

"The conclusions are not good," Pastrana said in a talk with foreign 
journalists ahead of next week's visit by Secretary of State Colin Powell. 
"The conclusions are that drugs are still the first-or second-biggest 
business of mankind."

Pastrana said he still hopes for a negotiated end to Colombia's civil war. 
He also said the United States should re-establish intelligence- sharing 
with Colombia's air force on suspected drug flights, and urged President 
Bush to help organize an international narcotics conference.

"Clearly, we must also make an evaluation - and not only of the policies of 
fumigation and interdiction," Pastrana said.

Washington suspended helping Colombia and Peru track down drug flights 
after the accidental shootdown of a U.S. missionary plane over Peru in April.

Pastrana said the suspension "has allowed a lot of drugs to pass over our 
territory because there is no control of our air space."

He urged a resumption, saying: "I think we can truly hit the heart of the 
business through interdiction, and not simply through fumigation."

The fumigation of drug plants by U.S.-provided crop dusters is part of 
Washington's $1.3-billion counternarcotics policy in Colombia. The spraying 
has been criticized amid allegations it endangers health and the environment.

The president gave no indication that he would backtrack on the spraying 
during his last year in office, but said he wanted to focus on large-scale 
coca plantations.

The rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and their 
enemies, the right-wing paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of 
Colombia, earn huge profits by guarding and taxing the coca and poppy 
plantations that provide much of the world's cocaine, and most of the 
heroin used in the United States.

Pastrana said the U.S. and Europe should stem the laundering of drug money 
and control the export of chemicals used in Colombia to process cocaine.

Despite the glacially slow pace of peace talks begun with the FARC three 
years ago, Pastrana said he would leave office satisfied.

"I tell you, Andres Pastrana was,elected for one purpose: to try, by all 
legal and constitutional means, to consolidate a peace process," he said. 
"And for the first time, we today are sitting at the table even with all 
the difficulties."

Pastrana said he plans to discuss trade with Powell during his visit to 
Bogota on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager