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. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth