Source: Miami Herald (FL) Contact: http://www.herald.com/ Pubdate: 20 Jun 1998 PERMISSION IS GRANTED FOR U.S. DRUG PURSUIT PARAMARIBO -- Suriname has signed an agreement to allow U.S. forces to pursue smuggling suspects into Suriname's territorial waters. The United States has reached similar agreements with other Caribbean countries in an effort to strengthen its drug interdiction efforts, but Suriname was reluctant to sign the accord for fear it would infringe upon its sovereignty. Other Caribbean countries have criticized the United States for pressing for the so-called ship-rider agreements while ignoring the other problems of the region's small nations, including the economic conditions that encourage smuggling. - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski