BRAZIL TO SHOOT DOWN ILLEGAL PLANES

The Brazilian president, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, has said he would
authorize the shooting down of planes involved in terrorism,
smuggling or drug trafficking.

Mr Cardoso was speaking during a visit to the border with Colombia, a
region where illegal airplanes have been involved in several
incidents in the last years.

A law approved by the Congress in 1998 allows the armed forces to
shoot down airplanes within Brazilian airspace.

But it needs further legislation before it can be implemented.