COLOMBIA COCA PRODUCTION SOARING

WASHINGTON -- With the new $1.3-billion U.S. counternarcotics program for
Colombia still in the planning stages, coca production there continues to
skyrocket, and no significant reductions are expected until 2002,
administration officials said Wednesday.

Barry McCaffrey, director of the White House drug control office, said that
while CIA estimates won't be available for four months, anecdotal evidence
suggests there will be an increase this year over the official 520-metric
ton estimate for 1999.

Colombian President Andres Pastrana hopes to earmark $7.5- billion over
three years to fight the drug trade, stimulate the economy and reform the
judiciary, among other goals. He expects to generate $4-billion locally and
use $3.5- billion from the United States and other countries. About
$300-million of the U.S. contribution will be earmarked for nonmilitary
Purposes.

McCaffrey said that based on anecdotal evidence such as satellite photos
and other indicators, " the production of cocaine in Colombia is continuing
to skyrocket." He said he anticipates that early next year, once the
official analyses are completed, "we're going to see more bad news out of
Colombia."