DEA CHIEF: WAR ON TERRORISM IS HAMPERING WAR ON DRUGS

WASHINGTON -- The war against terrorism is diverting federal agents, patrol
boats and other resources from the war on drugs, the nation's chief
narcotics officer said Tuesday.

"It's a battle of resources right now," Drug Enforcement Administration
chief Asa Hutchinson said. It's particularly an issue for the Coast Guard
and the FBI, he said. "When the dust settles, there will be discussions."

The FBI has yanked agents off narcotics cases for counterterrorism duty,
Hutchinson said, and Coast Guard cutters that once were dedicated to
patrolling for narcotics shipments now watch over vulnerable seaports.