U.S. SHOULD HELP GUYANA FIGHT DRUGS

ISSUE: Guyana's president wants a U.S. DEA office in his country.

English-speaking Caribbean countries have become transshipment ports
for drugs headed to North America and Europe. So it's not a bad idea
to have a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in the region
to help combat illegal trafficking.

The possibility of such an arrangement surfaced recently when U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Thomas
Shannon, visited Guyana. President Bharrat Jagdeo sent Shannon back
to Washington with a request for a DEA office in the South American
country.

The request comes as Guyana is facing a wave of violent crime. The
country of 760,200 people had 23 murders in less than a month in
early 2008, according to CaribWorldNew, a wire service for Caribbean
news.

A recent U.S. State Department International Narcotics Control
Strategy Report highlighted the drug shipment activities in Guyana
and other countries in the region, pointing out that interdictions
and seizures of drugs had decreased in Guyana between 2004 and 2005,
and that the country remains a prime target for drug traffickers
because of poor economic, social and political conditions.

The U.S. Embassy in Guyana estimates that narcotics traffickers earn
at least $150 million annually by smuggling drugs through the
country, an amount equivalent to at least 20 percent of the country's
gross domestic product. These conditions should be of concern to the
United States, and a reason to pay closer attention to what's
happening in the Caribbean, also known as America's Third Border.

Stronger relations with countries like Guyana could go a long way in
fighting the flow of drugs here on the home front. And with Guyana
and the United States having a history of cool relations due to the
country's socialist leanings during the Cold War, having a DEA
office in the country could help usher in a new era of cooperation,
which is much needed at a time when national security is a concern.

BOTTOM LINE: The State Department should grant the South American
country's request.