Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jul 2002
Source: Gazette, The (CO)
Copyright: 2002 The Gazette
Contact:  http://www.gazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/876

A STEP BACKWARD

Drug War Takes Another Aggressive Turn

We breathed a sigh of relief last year when the Bush administration put on 
hold its support for forcing down - even shooting down - aircraft believed 
to be engaged in the illicit drug in the skies above Latin America, where 
much of U.S. drug traffic originates. The administration had suspended the 
program after an American missionary and her infant daughter were killed in 
Peru last year when their plane was shot down by mistake. Though the 
downing was the work of Peruvian forces, a U.S. surveillance plane 
dispatched to track down drug runners had been coordinating with the 
fighter aircraft at the time of the incident.

The administration's retreat at the time was welcome not only because the 
move lowered the likelihood there'd be a recurrence of such a tragedy but 
also because, fundamentally, a policy of shooting down any aircraft that is 
not believed to impose imminent danger to others - even if it is indeed 
carrying contraband - is hard to justify.

Last week, reports out of Washington suggested the White House is about to 
end the moratorium and return to the risky, deadly tactic. That's unfortunate.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer confirmed administration 
officials have formally recommended that Bush "resume this program with new 
safeguards." Fleischer added, "The president very much wants to take strong 
actions to fight drug narcotics trafficking in South America." But at what 
price?

Let's hope the safeguards are more than cosmetic.

In the history of human economic activity, no commodity, however 
deleterious, ever was supplied where there wasn't a demand. In a sense, 
then, the administration is saying it is willing to risk killing even the 
innocent in order to get at those whose only real crime is feeding a habit 
main-street America refuses to kick.
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MAP posted-by: Beth