DRUG WAR

Shooting In Peru Is Another Reason To Rethink Tactics

The war on drugs is an important mission of the United States government,"
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Monday.

That war has two more innocent casualties -- a missionary from Michigan and
her baby daughter, shot to death over Peru because the Peruvian military
thought their little plane was smuggling drugs.

It was a horrible mistake. Accounts differed Monday as to what extent a CIA
aircraft in the area attempted to prevent the Peruvian pilot from firing on
the missionary plane, which made a crash landing in the Amazon River.

However blame is ultimately assessed, it won't undo the damage.

This tragedy does, however, offer yet another reason to reassess how the
U.S. government is carrying out this "important mission" of fighting drugs.
On the home front, the strategy is locking people away for long periods of
time. Overseas, where the bulk of the country's hard drugs originate, the
tactic is to encourage aggressive interdiction. In this latest case, Peru
apparently took that to mean shoot first and ask questions later.

President George W. Bush has pledged to re-evaluate the drug war, and this
is a good moment to get that effort under way in earnest.

He has also suspended U.S. surveillance flights until the investigation is
complete. Before such flights resume, the United States must clarify the
protocols, and let Peru know they will be enforced.

The wisest course might be for the United States to stop treating the drug
war as a military battle. But if it soldiers on, it must make sure its
allies respect the rules of engagement.