Intelligence

GOLDEN TRIANGLE ROLE FOR U.S. ARMY

The Thai and U.S. armies are joining hands for the first time to combat
drug trafficking in the Golden Triangle. The Thai military will form a
special task force to counter the increased flow of methamphetamines and
heroin into the country from Burma. The U.S. army is offering training and
equipment and the new outfit is expected to be operational in August. It
will bring together elements from the military, the border police, the
Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the government.

It will be equipped with modern detection devices and helicopters and, with
training from U.S. instructors, will be able to operate at night. The small
town of Pai near northern Thailand's border with Burma has been proposed as
the force's main base. The area is rife with cross-border drug trafficking.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has been active in Thailand for years, but
its mandate allows it only to cooperate with local police forces.