TWO MORE LIVES CLAIMED IN U.S. DRUG WAR

The latest victims of America's so-called war on drugs were not some drug
kingpins or even some harmless drug users. Rather, they were a young
missionary woman from Michigan and her infant daughter. They were just the
latest innocents killed in our government's attempt to keep individuals
from engaging in behavior of which it does not approve.

Veronica Bowers, 35, of Michigan and her 7-month old daughter, Charity,
were killed when a Peruvian A-37B Dragonfly attack plane fired upon the
single-engine float plane in which they were riding over the Amazonian
jungle Friday.

The missionary plane, which was in radio contact with the air tower in the
jungle city of Iquitos where it was due to land just minutes after the
shooting, was well known in Peru as a missionary plane. Additionally, the
pilot had filed a flight plan, about which the military should have known.
Also, the plane was not exhibiting the typical behavior of a drug flight.
It was flying high and during daylight hours.

The U.S. government is claiming the Peruvian fighter pilot violated
established rules of engagement when it fired upon the missionary plane.
After all, a simple call to the air tower would have confirmed the plane
was on a legitimate mission.

Still, it was disturbing to us to learn of the involvement of U.S. personnel.

The location of the missionary plane was given to the Peruvian fighter
pilot by the crew of a CIA tracking plane. While the U.S. government claims
the Peruvian fighter pilot was told not to fire on the plane, the U.S.
anti-drug team is still complicit in the deaths by its act of initially
radioing the location of the missionary plane to the Peruvian fighter.

Ideally, the deaths of the Bowers would cause the U.S. government to
reconsider the devastating toll its continued prohibition on drug use and
its effort to enforce that prohibition with military force is having. But
we won't hold our breath.

We were encouraged, however, to hear that U.S. drug interdiction flights
over Peru have been temporarily suspended. While we hold no na ve notions
that the flights will be stopped permanently, we are pleased, nonetheless,
with the temporary cessation.

It is time to end the failed war on drugs before another innocent person is
killed.