FEDS SNORT AT POST'S COKE TALE

Federal drug agents are discrediting a New York Post front-page story that
Osama Bin Laden tried to buy tons of Colombian cocaine to spike with poison
and resell to Americans.

In a blaring story Tuesday headlined "Bin Laden Coke Plot," Post reporter
Dan Mangan claimed the Drug Enforcement Administration was investigating
the scheme.

But that was news to DEA officials.

"The New York Post has refused to inform DEA of the basis of its
allegations or share the document upon which the reporting is based," DEA
spokesman Garrison Courtney said in a statement.

"However, no DEA official in Washington, Afghanistan, Bogota or New York
has any information of this type of plot by Bin Laden, and a computerized
search of our databases reveals no such reporting."

Quoting "law enforcement sources familiar with the Drug Enforcement
Administration's probe," the Post said the Colombian dealers rejected Bin
Laden.

A law enforcement source told the Daily News that the DEA never had a probe
- - and any suggestion that Bin Laden had a plot to poison the nation's
cocaine supply simply was not credible.

A Post spokeswoman said, "We stand by our story."