POTENTIAL FOR TRAGEDY

After a two-year break, sparked by the reckless killing of an American
missionary and her infant daughter, the U.S. government has resumed
its support for Colombia's policy of shooting down suspected drug
planes. The barbarity of conspiring with foreign military officers to
act as judge, jury and executioner is as indefensible now - legally,
morally and practically - as it was when Peru, with U.S. assistance,
shot Veronica Bowers and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity, from the
sky.

Americans would never tolerate such use of deadly force on the U.S.
border. That proxy pilots in allied uniform actually pull the trigger
does not erase the fingerprint of American complicity.

Colombia and Peru defend the practice as necessary to stanch the
global trafficking in illegal drugs, a position the United States
supports. But the Bush administration was embarrassed by the language
problems and command mistakes that caused the Bowers' plane to be
misidentified, and subsequently downed. The practice was suspended
while U.S. officials pressed for tighter engagement procedures.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced recently the United States
would support a resumption of the downing policy, now that Colombia
adopted what the White House called "appropriate" safeguards to
protect innocent life. This is not a guarantee America can make.
Language barriers between foreign military officers and U.S. air
support staff, flawed intelligence and chain-of-command breakdowns
will always raise the potential for tragedy. Foreign commanders may
ignore any U.S. pleadings for restraint. Enabling our allies to
summarily down planes not only contradicts the principle of American
justice, but it also undercuts the United States' broader effort to
foster respect for democratic values abroad.

Clearly, the traffickers' use of small planes challenges international
law enforcement. The United States has a national security interest in
helping Colombia, Peru and other nations halt the production and
shipment of drugs. But this intelligence and interdiction effort needs
to meet acceptable standards. Following drug-carrying planes,
disrupting supply routes, seizing assets of convicted traffickers,
expanding intelligence and undercover operations - these are
legitimate forms of American antidrug assistance. Cracking down on
military and government officers in friendly Latin American states who
engage in trafficking also would help. The point of our presence
should be to bolster the rule of law.