Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2001
Source: Erie Times-News (PA)
Copyright: 2001 Erie Times-News
Contact:  http://www.goerie.com/timesnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1347

END SHOOT-DOWN POLICY

According to The Washington Post, "Civilian pilots around the world have 
reacted with anger to the downing of a plane carrying a missionary family 
in Peru, saying the ... policy ... is a blatant violation of international 
law."

In this tragic incident, a Peruvian jet, guided by a U.S. plane, fired on 
the single-engine Cessna. The Peruvians say they followed all the right 
procedures; the Americans say that the Peruvians were trigger-happy.

The pilots point out that when the Soviet Union shot down KAL 007 in 1984, 
the United States argued that there was never any justification for firing 
on a civilian plane. "Nothing justifies a no-questions-asked destruction of 
civilian aircraft," said Phil Boyer, president of the International Council 
of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations.

Peter West, a senior vice president at the National Business Aircraft 
Association, said that when he heard of the tragedy, "My thoughts rushed 
quickly to the most important argument we and others made against this 
dangerous approach to drug interdiction: the serious risk to innocent lives."

Put international law aside. Put aside as well, the controversy over who 
did or did not follow procedures. Imagine instead that Peruvian vacationers 
had been shot down instead of Americans. Would there be such a controversy? 
Would there even be a controversy? We think it more probable that both 
American and Peruvian drug warriors would shrug and talk about unfortunate 
"collateral damage." Those lives would have been expendable in the 
all-justifying drug war.

We say, innocent lives are more important than the policy. Let this policy die.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager