Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Contact: http://www.latimes.com/ Copyright: 1998 Los Angeles Times. Fax: 213-237-4712 Pubdate: 21 Oct 1998 Author: Anthony Boadle, Reuters U.S. CONGRESS APPROVES $2.7 BILLION FOR DRUG WAR WASHINGTON--U.S. Congress gave a $2.69 billion shot in the arm to the fight against Latin American drug traffickers Wednesday, saying the Clinton administration had lowered its guard on the narcotics front. The money will go to buy planes, boats, radars and guns needed by the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Customs Service and Colombian police to stop South American cocaine and heroin from reaching U.S. streets. The Senate approved the additional anti-drug funding over the next three years as part of the massive omnibus spending package signed into law by President Clinton. The Western Hemisphere Drug Elimination Act, authored by Republican Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio, beefs up international police action, reversing a 1990s trend towards spending more on domestic drug enforcement. The new legislation says the United States has to crack down on foreign sources rather than internal demand if it wants to stop Americans taking illegal drugs. "This law is a major step toward keeping drugs out of our country," said DeWine. "It will mean more planes in the air, more ships at sea and less drugs on the streets of our neighborhoods." "We're back in the business of putting the drug lords out of business," he said. The drug measure will, in particular, bolster Colombia's national police with new helicopters and equipment to confront leftist guerrillas allegedly allied with drug cartels. The law earmarks $201 million over the next three fiscal years to buy the Colombian police six powerful Blackhawk helicopters needed to reach high-altitude poppy plantations. It also provides for the upgrade of 50 UH-1H Huey helicopters into Super Huey gunships, the purchase of DC-3 transport planes and the rebuilding of an antidrug base destroyed by guerrillas in southern Colombia. The measure warns Colombia that U.S. drug assistance will be cut off if newly-elected President Andres Pastrana's plans to make peace with the guerrillas interfere with drug eradication operations. Pastrana's peace plan involves demilitarizing parts of the country. The law, however, allows Clinton to keep the aid flowing to Colombia for 90 days if he finds that it is vital for U.S. national interests there. Congress decided to add $180 million over three years for alternative agricultural development programs aimed at weaning peasants off drug crops in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. It authorized $69 million for U.S. agricultural research aimed at developing "environmentally-approved" herbicides to kill drug crops. Other major spending items are: $454.5 million for Coast Guard interdiction operations; $630 million for new Coast Guard patrol boats, planes and sensor and communications equipment; and $886.5 million for 20 new P-3 surveillance planes for the Customs Service. Another $36 million will go to improving the Coast Guards and port controls of Central American nations through 2001. Mexico gets $6 million to train its judges, prosecutors and police in skills needed to wage the drug war. - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski