Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 Source: Grand Rapids Press (MI) Webpage: www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/ba se/news-0/102631235081200.xml Copyright: 2002 Grand Rapids Press Contact: http://www.gr.mlive.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/171 SETTLEMENT DUE FOR MISSIONARY U.S. Should Pay Money, Create Safer Anti-Drug Flights The West Michigan-based missionary whose plane was shot out of the Peruvian sky deserves the compensation the U.S. government promised four long months ago. U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, R-Holland, is right to continue pushing for the State Department to pay Jim Bowers the $8 million it agreed to in March. Right, too, are Mr. Hoekstra's continued concerns about the U.S.- backed program that killed Roni Bowers and the Bowers' infant daughter, Charity, in April 2001. President Bush's administration appears ready to re-launch the drug interdiction flights, suspended after the Bowers incident, despite significant questions about whether there would be adequate safeguards to prevent other tragedies. Under Mr. Bush's new plan, authority for the interdiction program, which had been run by the Central Intelligence Agency in cooperation with the governments of Peru and Colombia, would be transferred to the State Department. The United States would identify suspected drug running planes. Peruvian and Colombian air force planes would shoot them down if the planes failed to answer repeated calls to land. This is very similar to the way the program ran last year when the Cessna carrying the Bowers family was identified by CIA officials as a potential drug-carrying aircraft. A Peruvian fighter jet shot it out of the sky as CIA operatives frantically objected over the radio. Subsequent investigations showed a language barrier between the CIA and Peruvian participants. In addition, the Peruvians failed to follow basic safeguards set in place to keep innocent people from being killed. The restructured program should include careful training, adequate language skills and a more active role for U.S. participants -- especially the ability by State Department operatives to veto any shoot-down decision. By every indication, such a veto power could have saved the Bowers family. Peru's government has purchased a new plane for the Baptist mission group that sponsored the Bowers family, covered funeral costs and paid medical expenses for injured pilot Kevin Donaldson. The U.S. government has yet to pay any money for its role in the shoot-down. The State Department, which agreed to a settlement in March after much negotiation, has dragged its feet and insisted -- dubiously -- that Congress must approve the funds. The $8 million the department has promised Mr. Bowers can't begin to compensate for the tragedy suffered by him and his son, Cory, who also survived the accident. But stalling payment has only added to their hardship. There is evidence the drug interdiction program has slowed the cocaine trade. Between 1995, when the program began, and last year when it was suspended, the Peruvian air force had shot down or forced down 38 planes and seized another dozen on the ground. Drug flights had virtually ceased as criminals took to the less efficient ground and rivers to move cocaine, U.S. officials say. Without the program, those same officials say drug trafficking has increased again. An effective drug-fighting strategy will include education, treatment, criminal prosecutions and efforts to stop trafficking at its source. The simple goal should be to protect citizens and society against the many ravages of drugs, including ruined lives and rampant crime. Some risks will have to be taken, but protecting innocents should be a fundamental priority. Before the anti-drug flights resume, Mr. Hoekstra and U.S. Sens. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, and Debbie Stabenow, D- Lansing, should make sure that's the case. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth